Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax VS20

Following is a extensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax VS20, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 4 months earlier than the VS20 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-PL3 grades against the VS20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Pentax Optio VS20. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Pentax VS20 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Pentax VS20 has dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") and a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax VS20 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 versus the VS20.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and VS20 is 88 and 90 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes just by looking at a spec sheet. The image underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and VS20.

Clearly, both cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Pentax VS20 will resolve more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively.