Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A230

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A230, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the A230 (10MP) is pretty similar but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) possess different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was launched 2 years after the A230 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-P3 grades versus the A230 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 provides outside dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Sony A230 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A230 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P3 against the A230.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and A230 is 86 and 69 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizes only by going over specifications. The image here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P3 and A230.

Plainly, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-P3 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Olympus E-P3 will deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The fresher E-P3 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.