Olympus E-P3 vs Sony TX1

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony TX1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the TX1 (10MP) is fairly comparable but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and TX1 (1/2.4") posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was launched 2 years later than the TX1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony TX1 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-P3 grades versus the TX1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Sony TX1 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 features outside measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Sony TX1 has measurements of 94mm x 58mm x 17mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P3 vs Sony TX1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-P3 vs the TX1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and TX1 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Often, its difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The graphic below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and TX1.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-P3 will provide more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-P3 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.