Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49


78 Imaging
76 Features
88 Overall
80
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
- Released September 2011
- Replaced the Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200 (Expand to 204800)
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Sony E Mount
- 509g - 124 x 71 x 60mm
- Revealed September 2020

Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Overview
On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony A7c, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and A7c (24MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A7c (Full frame) offer different sensor sizes.

The E-PL3 was launched 10 years before the A7c and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PL3 scores against the A7c in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Alpha A7c. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony A7c Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Sony A7c
E-PL3 | A7c |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A7c over the Olympus E-PL3
A7c | E-PL3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | September 2020 | ![]() | September 2011 | Fresher by 109 months |
Screen type | Fully articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+462k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A7c
E-PL3 | A7c | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very exact focusing | ||
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen dimensions |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Physical Comparison
When you are looking to carry your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 has outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Sony A7c has sizing of 124mm x 71mm x 60mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 2.4") along with a weight of 509 grams (1.12 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony A7c in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL3 against the A7c.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and A7c is 88 and 78 respectively.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Sensor Comparison
Usually, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing just by checking out specifications. The visual below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and A7c.
Plainly, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A7c will show greater detail utilizing its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A7c Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Alpha A7c | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Alpha A7c |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
Released | 2011-09-20 | 2020-09-14 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Truepic VI | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.8 x 23.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 852.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 6000 x 4000 |
Highest native ISO | 12800 | 51200 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 204800 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Min boosted ISO | - | 50 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 693 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Number of lenses | 107 | 122 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Tilting | Fully articulated |
Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Display resolution | 460 thousand dots | 922 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,360 thousand dots |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.59x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Maximum quiet shutter speed | - | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 6.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | no built-in flash |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.264 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 313 gr (0.69 lb) | 509 gr (1.12 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 124 x 71 x 60mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 2.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 52 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 20.9 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 499 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 images | 740 images |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-5 | NP-FZ100 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-II supported) |
Card slots | One | One |
Cost at launch | $399 | $1,800 |