Olympus E-P5 vs Sony NEX-3

Below, we will be matching up the Olympus E-P5 vs Sony NEX-3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The E-P5 was manufactured 3 years after the NEX-3 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-P5 grades versus the NEX-3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P5 provides external dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P5 vs Sony NEX-3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the E-P5 versus the NEX-3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-P5 and NEX-3 is 85 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions simply by viewing technical specs. The image below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and NEX-3.

As you have seen, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P5 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus E-P5 will render greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-P5 should have an edge in sensor innovation.