Olympus E-P3 vs Sony RX1R

Here is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-P3 and Sony RX1R, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and RX1R (Full frame) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was introduced 22 months earlier than the RX1R which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-P3 scores versus the RX1R with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Sony RX1R Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 offers outer 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 RX1R has dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P3 and Sony RX1R in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P3 against the RX1R.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and RX1R is 86 and 79 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing purely by checking specs. The visual underneath will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and RX1R.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P3 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony RX1R will give greater detail using its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-P3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.