Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus 1

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus 1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the 1 (12MP) is fairly close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and 1 (1/1.7") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was revealed 3 years prior to the 1 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL3 grades against the 1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus Stylus 1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus 1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Olympus 1 has specifications of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") accompanied by a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus 1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the 1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and 1 is 88 and 79 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions only by researching specifications. The pic here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and 1.

To sum up, each of the cameras have got the exact same MP but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 includes the larger sensor which should make obtaining shallower DOF simpler. The more aged E-PL3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.