Olympus E-P3 vs Sony HX7V

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-P3 and Sony HX7V, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and HX7V (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and HX7V (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was manufactured at a similar time to the HX7V which means that they are of a similar generation. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX7V being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-P3 grades versus the HX7V with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony HX7V Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 has external measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Sony HX7V has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P3 and Sony HX7V in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose during that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-P3 and the HX7V.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and HX7V is 86 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions purely by seeing technical specs. The picture here will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and HX7V.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Sony HX7V will provide more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively.