Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A3000

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A3000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and A3000 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A3000 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was brought out 4 years before the A3000 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL1 scores against the A3000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Alpha A3000. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony A3000 Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 comes with outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony A3000 has measurements of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A3000 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1 and the A3000.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and A3000 is 86 and 69 respectively.

Often, its tough to envision the difference in sensor dimensions only by researching specs. The pic below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and A3000.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A3000 will render greater detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.