Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus 6000

Following is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus 6000, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are offered by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the 6000 (10MP) is very similar but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and 6000 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 2 years after the 6000 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 6000 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-PL3 grades versus the 6000 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus Stylus Tough 6000. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus 6000 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera often, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys physical 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 6000 has sizing of 95mm x 63mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 179 grams (0.39 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus 6000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the 6000.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and 6000 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes purely by going over specifications. The image underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and 6000.

To sum up, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL3 will deliver more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images way more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.