Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49
62 Imaging
53 Features
47 Overall
50
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 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
- Succeeded the Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 674g - 131 x 99 x 75mm
- Announced June 2008
- Replacement is Sony A380
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 Overview
Let's look closer at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony A350, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the A350 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A350 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.
Photography GlossaryThe E-PL3 was revealed 3 years later than the A350 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-PL3 grades vs the A350 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony A350 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Sony A350
E-PL3 | A350 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | September 2011 | June 2008 | More recent by 41 months | |
Display size | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
Display resolution | 460k | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A350 over the Olympus E-PL3
A350 | E-PL3 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony A350
E-PL3 | A350 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | Dial exact focus | |||
Display type | Tilting | Tilting | Tilting display | |
Selfie screen | Lacking selfie screen | |||
Touch friendly display | Lacking Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 Physical Comparison
If you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 has got outer 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) while the Sony A350 has dimensions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony A350 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 versus the A350.
Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and A350 is 88 and 62 respectively.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and A350.
As you can see, both cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 with its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony A350 will produce more detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The more recent E-PL3 will have a benefit in sensor technology.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A350 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2011-09-20 | 2008-06-06 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Truepic VI | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Screen resolution | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 6.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain, wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 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) | - |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | - |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 313g (0.69 pounds) | 674g (1.49 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 131 x 99 x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 52 | 65 |
DXO Color Depth score | 20.9 | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | 11.5 |
DXO Low light score | 499 | 595 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 photos | - |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | BLS-5 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Compact Flash (Type I or II), Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, UDMA Mode 5, Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32 |
Storage slots | One | One |
Launch cost | $399 | $600 |