Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus SP-590 UZ, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Olympus. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the SP-590 UZ (12MP) is relatively close but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P3 was revealed 2 years after the SP-590 UZ which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-P3 scores vs the SP-590 UZ for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Olympus SP-590 UZ. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 features physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-590 UZ has measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus SP-590 UZ in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P3 vs the SP-590 UZ.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and SP-590 UZ is 86 and 72 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions just by researching technical specs. The picture below will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and SP-590 UZ.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have the same megapixels albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The E-P3 contains the bigger sensor which will make getting shallow DOF less difficult. The younger E-P3 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.