Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus SZ-15

Below, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-15, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are built by Olympus. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was revealed 21 months earlier than the SZ-15 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL3 grades against the SZ-15 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-15. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 has got physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-15 has proportions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-15 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 versus the SZ-15.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and SZ-15 is 88 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizing purely by viewing a spec sheet. The visual below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and SZ-15.

Clearly, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus SZ-15 will render more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.