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Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560

Portability
86
Imaging
48
Features
60
Overall
52
Olympus PEN E-P3 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 front
Portability
64
Imaging
54
Features
78
Overall
63

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Key Specs

Olympus E-P3
(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  • Superseded the Olympus E-P2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
Sony A560
(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  • Superseded the Sony A500
Photography Glossary

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.

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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.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Sony A560

 E-P3 A560 
IntroducedAugust 2011August 2010Fresher by 12 months
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony A560 over the Olympus E-P3

 A560 E-P3 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution922k614kSharper display (+308k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Sony A560

 E-P3 A560 
Focus manually Dial accurate focus
Display dimension3"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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 size comparison

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 top view buttons comparison

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 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-P3
Portrait photography with Sony A560
60
you can focus manually
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detect focusing
saves RAW files
low MP (12 megapixels)
72
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
comes with face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-P3 Street photography features
Sony A560 Street photography features
76
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
includes touch focus
fixed screen
75
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-P3 Sports photography advice
Sony A560 Sports photography advice
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
max fps very slow (3.0 frames per second)
low MP (12 megapixels)
has no phase detect AF
68
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
better than average battery life (1,050 per charge)
comes with phase detect autofocus
slow fps (5.0 frames per second)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-P3
Travel photography with Sony A560
60
includes touch focus
flash built-in
missing Time Lapse mode
low MP (12MP)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
60
better than average battery life (1,050 shots)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
has built in flash
missing Time Lapse function
does not offer selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-P3 Landscape photography highlights
Sony A560 Landscape photography highlights
65
you can focus manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
low MP (12 megapixels)
missing Time Lapse mode
73
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
better than average battery life (1,050 CIPA)
2 card slots
missing Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-P3 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A560 as a Vlogging camera
35
touch screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
missing mic socket
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have external mic support
does not offer selfie friendly screen
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Olympus E-P3 vs Sony A560 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-P3 and Sony A560
 Olympus PEN E-P3Sony 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