Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A500

In this write-up, we are comparing the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A500, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is very well matched but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-P3 was manufactured 24 months after the A500 making the cameras a generation away from one another. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-P3 scores against the A500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P3 features physical 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 A500 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-P3 compared to the A500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and A500 is 86 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes only by reading through specs. The pic below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and A500.

All in all, the 2 cameras offer the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The E-P3 contains the tinier sensor which is going to make getting shallow depth of field trickier. The more recent E-P3 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.