Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony NEX-F3

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Sony NEX-F3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and NEX-F3 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL2 was revealed 18 months before the NEX-F3 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL2 grades versus the NEX-F3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 enjoys exterior measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-F3 has measurements of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL2 and Sony NEX-F3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL2 versus the NEX-F3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and NEX-F3 is 85 and 86 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by looking at technical specs. The pic below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and NEX-F3.

As you have seen, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony NEX-F3 will give you greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 is going to be behind in sensor tech.