Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony NEX-3N

Below is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony NEX-3N, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and NEX-3N (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3N (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL1 was announced 3 years earlier than the NEX-3N and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-PL1 matches up vs the NEX-3N when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3N has measurements of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony NEX-3N in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1 versus the NEX-3N.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and NEX-3N is 86 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and NEX-3N.

Clearly, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony NEX-3N will give you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The older E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.