Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A9 II

In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A9 II, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and A9 II (24MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A9 II (Full frame) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL3 was brought out 9 years prior to the A9 II which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A9 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-PL3 scores versus the A9 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Alpha A9 Mark II. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony A9 II Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys exterior 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) whilst the Sony A9 II has proportions of 129mm x 96mm x 76mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.0") with a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A9 II in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL3 versus the A9 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and A9 II is 88 and 62 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by going through a spec sheet. The picture underneath should provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and A9 II.

As you can see, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A9 II will provide more detail having its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.