Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax XG-1

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax XG-1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and XG-1 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and XG-1 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was introduced 3 years earlier than the XG-1 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-PL3 matches up vs the XG-1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Pentax XG-1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Pentax XG-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Pentax XG-1 has proportions of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") having a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax XG-1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL3 versus the XG-1.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and XG-1 is 88 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizes purely by viewing a spec sheet. The pic below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and XG-1.

Clearly, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Pentax XG-1 will render more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 will be behind in sensor tech.