Olympus E-P3 vs Sony NEX-5

Following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-P3 versus Sony NEX-5, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) feature different sensor size.

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The E-P3 was revealed 15 months after the NEX-5 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-P3 scores vs the NEX-5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P3 has exterior measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P3 versus Sony NEX-5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-P3 vs the NEX-5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and NEX-5 is 86 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes merely by researching technical specs. The pic here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and NEX-5.

As you have seen, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-P3 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-P3 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.