Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49
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67 Imaging
50 Features
50 Overall
50
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
- Revealed September 2011
- Previous Model is Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 10MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 529g - 128 x 97 x 71mm
- Launched May 2009
- Superseded the Sony A300
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Overview
Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A330, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the A330 (10MP) is fairly close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A330 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.
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The E-PL3 was manufactured 2 years after the A330 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL3 grades against the A330 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony A330 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Sony A330
E-PL3 | A330 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | September 2011 | ![]() | May 2009 | Newer by 29 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A330 over the Olympus E-PL3
A330 | E-PL3 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A330
E-PL3 | A330 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither provides Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Physical Comparison
When you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 provides outside dimensions 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 A330 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A330 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL3 versus the A330.
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Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and A330 is 88 and 67 respectively.
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by looking through specs. The pic underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and A330.
All in all, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Olympus E-PL3 will result in extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The fresher E-PL3 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A330 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A330 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2011-09-20 | 2009-05-18 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Truepic VI | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 10MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 3872 x 2592 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 460k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 6.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 10.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | - |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 313 gr (0.69 lbs) | 529 gr (1.17 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 52 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth score | 20.9 | 22.4 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | 11.5 |
DXO Low light score | 499 | 535 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 photos | 230 photos |
Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-5 | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at launch | $399 | $545 |