Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax WS80

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Pentax WS80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the WS80 (10MP) is fairly close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and WS80 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was brought out 2 years later than the WS80 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WS80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL3 grades versus the WS80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Pentax Optio WS80. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Pentax WS80 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with outer 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 Pentax WS80 has dimensions of 92mm x 60mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.9") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 versus Pentax WS80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the WS80.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and WS80 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching a spec sheet. The visual underneath might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and WS80.

As you can see, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 because of its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PL3 will render greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.