Olympus E-P3 vs Sony HX350

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-P3 and Sony HX350, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and HX350 (20MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and HX350 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was brought out 6 years earlier than the HX350 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX350 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-P3 scores vs the HX350 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX350. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony HX350 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 provides outer measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Sony HX350 has dimensions of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") along with a weight of 652 grams (1.44 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P3 and Sony HX350 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P3 against the HX350.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and HX350 is 86 and 62 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by going through specifications. The photograph underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and HX350.

To sum up, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 because of its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Sony HX350 will provide extra detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older E-P3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.