Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A230

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A230, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the A230 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 2 years after the A230 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL3 grades against the A230 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 has got 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) while the Sony A230 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A230 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL3 against the A230.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and A230 is 88 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions simply by going through specifications. The picture underneath should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and A230.

Plainly, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-PL3 will provide extra detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The younger E-PL3 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.