Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A300

In this write-up, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A300, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A300 (APS-C) use different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was revealed 3 years after the A300 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL3 scores versus the A300 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony A300 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 offers outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Sony A300 has proportions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A300 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL3 versus the A300.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and A300 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions purely by going over technical specs. The image below should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and A300.

As you can tell, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Olympus E-PL3 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.