Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus 5010

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus 5010, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact and both are produced by Olympus. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the 5010 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and 5010 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-P3 was released 20 months later than the 5010 making them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-P3 scores vs the 5010 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Olympus Stylus 5010. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Olympus 5010 Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P3 has 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) while the Olympus 5010 has sizing of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus 5010 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-P3 versus the 5010.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and 5010 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and 5010.

As you can see, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P3 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus 5010 will offer you greater detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-P3 should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.