Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Here, we are matching up the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are sold by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was announced 15 months earlier than the SZ-16 iHS making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-PL3 matches up against the SZ-16 iHS in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 has got external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has sizing of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the SZ-16 iHS.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and SZ-16 iHS is 88 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions merely by going over specifications. The image underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and SZ-16 iHS.

Plainly, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will offer you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.