Olympus E-M5 III vs Sony NEX-3

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-M5 III versus Sony NEX-3, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 III was brought out 9 years later than the NEX-3 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-M5 III grades against the NEX-3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 III provides physical measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has specifications of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 III versus Sony NEX-3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 III versus the NEX-3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 III and NEX-3 is 80 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing just by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 III and NEX-3.

Clearly, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 III due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus E-M5 III will show greater detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The younger E-M5 III should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.