Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-3

Below is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Sony NEX-3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is relatively close but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The E-PL1s was revealed 6 months later than the NEX-3 which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-PL1s scores versus the NEX-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s has got external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has sizing of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1s versus Sony NEX-3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the NEX-3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and NEX-3 is 86 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and NEX-3.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-3 will render extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively.