Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A100

Following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A100, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the A100 (10MP) is very similar but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and A100 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P3 was brought out 5 years after the A100 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-P3 scores versus the A100 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 has outside dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Sony A100 has dimensions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P3 against the A100.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and A100 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to see the contrast between sensor sizes just by going over specifications. The picture here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and A100.

To sum up, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-P3 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Olympus E-P3 will offer you greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images way more aggressively. The younger E-P3 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.