Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-3
86 Imaging
47 Features
60 Overall
52
89 Imaging
53 Features
55 Overall
53
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
- Released August 2011
- Superseded the Olympus E-P2
- Replacement is Olympus E-P5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Introduced June 2010
- Updated by Sony NEX-C3
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The following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-P3 versus Sony NEX-3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-P3 was announced 15 months after the NEX-3 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-P3 scores vs the NEX-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Sony NEX-3
| E-P3 | NEX-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | August 2011 |  | June 2010 | Newer by 15 months |
| Touch screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Olympus E-P3
| NEX-3 | E-P3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen resolution | 920k |  | 614k | Clearer screen (+306k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Sony NEX-3
| E-P3 | NEX-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | Dial accurate focus | ||
| Screen size | 3" |  | 3" | Same screen measurement |
| Selfie screen |  | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
If you're looking to travel with your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 comes with physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
See the Olympus E-P3 versus Sony NEX-3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-P3 vs the NEX-3.
Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and NEX-3 is 86 and 89 respectively.
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very tough to see the difference in sensor dimensions purely by viewing technical specs. The picture here will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and NEX-3.
As you have seen, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 having a smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more difficult and the Sony NEX-3 will result in extra detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher E-P3 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P3 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus PEN E-P3 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2011-08-17 | 2010-06-07 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VI | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12MP | 14MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 12800 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | 35 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of display | 614k dot | 920k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Display tech | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
| Continuous shutter speed | 3.0fps | 7.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) | 12.00 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/180s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| 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 | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 369 grams (0.81 lbs) | 297 grams (0.65 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 51 | 68 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 20.8 | 22.1 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.1 | 12.0 |
| DXO Low light score | 536 | 830 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 shots | 330 shots |
| Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLS-5 | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Retail cost | $0 | $0 |