Olympus E-PL3 vs Samsung SL30

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Samsung SL30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Samsung. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the SL30 (10MP) is very similar but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and SL30 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 2 years later than the SL30 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Samsung SL30 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-PL3 scores vs the SL30 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Samsung SL30. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Samsung SL30 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 has got outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Samsung SL30 has proportions of 94mm x 61mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 140 grams (0.31 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 vs Samsung SL30 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 vs the SL30.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and SL30 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizing just by reading specifications. The visual below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and SL30.

To sum up, both of those cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL3 will deliver more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL3 provides an advantage in sensor tech.