Olympus E-P3 vs Sony HX30V

In this article, we are comparing the Olympus E-P3 and Sony HX30V, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and HX30V (18MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and HX30V (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P3 was announced 6 months before the HX30V so they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX30V being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-P3 grades vs the HX30V in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Sony HX30V Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 comes with 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) while the Sony HX30V has measurements of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P3 and Sony HX30V in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-P3 compared to the HX30V.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and HX30V is 86 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizes only by going through technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and HX30V.

As you have seen, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-P3 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony HX30V will produce greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics far more aggressively.