Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A3000

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A3000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and A3000 (20MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A3000 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-P1 was introduced 5 years before the A3000 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-P1 matches up vs the A3000 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha A3000. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony A3000 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P1 provides physical dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Sony A3000 has dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A3000 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-P1 vs the A3000.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and A3000 is 86 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The graphic underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and A3000.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A3000 will result in more detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.