Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A380

The following is a detailed analysis of the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A380, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the A380 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was launched 2 years after the A380 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-P3 scores versus the A380 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P3 provides external measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Sony A380 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A380 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P3 and the A380.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and A380 is 86 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to picture the gap in sensor dimensions merely by seeing specifications. The picture below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and A380.

Plainly, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A380 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The younger E-P3 provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.