Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000
86 Imaging
47 Features
60 Overall
52
69 Imaging
61 Features
54 Overall
58
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
- Announced August 2011
- Replaced the Olympus E-P2
- New Model is Olympus E-P5
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Released August 2013
- Replacement is Sony a3500
Photography Glossary Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000 Overview
Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-P3 versus Sony A3000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and A3000 (20MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and A3000 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-P3 was released 24 months before the A3000 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-P3 scores versus the A3000 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Sony Alpha A3000. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Sony A3000 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Sony A3000
| E-P3 | A3000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen resolution | 614k | 230k | Crisper screen (+384k dot) | |
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A3000 over the Olympus E-P3
| A3000 | E-P3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | August 2013 | August 2011 | More recent by 24 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A3000
| E-P3 | A3000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More accurate focusing | |||
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 3" | Same screen measurements | |
| Selfie screen | Neither offers selfie screen |
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000 Physical Comparison
If you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 offers physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Sony A3000 has measurements of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-P3 versus Sony A3000 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P3 vs the A3000.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and A3000 is 86 and 69 respectively.
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is very hard to see the difference between sensor measurements just by reviewing technical specs. The graphic here will offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P3 and A3000.
As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A3000 will offer more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older E-P3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A3000 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P3 | Sony Alpha A3000 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-P3 | Sony Alpha A3000 |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Announced | 2011-08-17 | 2013-08-27 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic VI | BIONZ image |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 20 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 5456 x 3632 |
| Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 16000 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Available lenses | 107 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3" | 3" |
| Screen resolution | 614 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Screen technology | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating | TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.47x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash synchronize | 1/180 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | AVCHD, H.264, MP4 |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 369 gr (0.81 lb) | 411 gr (0.91 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 51 | 78 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 20.8 | 23.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.1 | 12.8 |
| DXO Low light rating | 536 | 1068 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 photos | 470 photos |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | NP-FW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | - |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Cost at launch | $0 | $398 |