Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus SP-800 UZ

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus SP-800 UZ, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the SP-800 UZ (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and SP-800 UZ (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was brought out 20 months after the SP-800 UZ making them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-800 UZ being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL3 grades vs the SP-800 UZ with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus SP-800 UZ. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus SP-800 UZ Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 features outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Olympus SP-800 UZ has specifications of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") having a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus SP-800 UZ in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 versus the SP-800 UZ.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and SP-800 UZ is 88 and 69 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes merely by looking at technical specs. The picture here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and SP-800 UZ.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus SP-800 UZ will give you more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.