Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus VH-410

Here is a extended review of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Olympus VH-410, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and VH-410 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and VH-410 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was brought out 11 months before the VH-410 and they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VH-410 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL3 scores against the VH-410 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus VH-410. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus VH-410 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and size. 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 VH-410 has specifications of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") having a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Olympus VH-410 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 versus the VH-410.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and VH-410 is 88 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to envision the difference in sensor sizing only by seeing technical specs. The photograph below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and VH-410.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus VH-410 will show more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be behind in sensor technology.