Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus SZ-12

Lets examine more in depth at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-12, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the SZ-12 (14MP) is relatively close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and SZ-12 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was manufactured 3 months before the SZ-12 which means that they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL3 matches up against the SZ-12 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-12. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 offers external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-12 has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-12 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL3 and the SZ-12.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and SZ-12 is 88 and 89 respectively.

Usually, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by researching specifications. The pic below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and SZ-12.

To sum up, the two cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus SZ-12 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a little more aggressively.