Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560
86 Imaging
47 Features
60 Overall
52


64 Imaging
53 Features
78 Overall
63
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 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
- Introduced August 2011
- Superseded the Olympus E-P2
- Refreshed by Olympus E-P5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 599g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Introduced August 2010
- Superseded the Sony A500

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Overview
Below, we are looking at the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is very similar but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and A560 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor size.

The E-P3 was revealed 12 months later than the A560 and they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-P3 scores versus the A560 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Sony A560 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Sony A560
E-P3 | A560 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | August 2011 | ![]() | August 2010 | Fresher by 12 months |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A560 over the Olympus E-P3
A560 | E-P3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 922k | ![]() | 614k | Sharper display (+308k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A560
E-P3 | A560 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical display size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither offers selfie screen |
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Physical Comparison
In case you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P3 offers outside measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Sony A560 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-P3 vs the A560.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and A560 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it is tough to envision the contrast between sensor sizing merely by going over a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and A560.
As you can see, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P3 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A560 will offer you extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-P3 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-P3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-P3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Introduced | 2011-08-17 | 2010-08-24 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VI | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 12800 | 12800 |
Highest enhanced ISO | - | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 614 thousand dots | 922 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch capability | ||
Screen technology | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter rate | 3.0fps | 5.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) | 12.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash synchronize | 1/180s | 1/160s |
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 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
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 | 369g (0.81 pounds) | 599g (1.32 pounds) |
Dimensions | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 51 | 70 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 20.8 | 22.5 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.1 | 12.3 |
DXO Low light rating | 536 | 817 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 photos | 1050 photos |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 2 |
Launch pricing | $0 | $650 |