Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony A390

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony A390, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the A390 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was announced 14 months after the A390 which makes them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL3 grades against the A390 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys exterior measurements 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 A390 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony A390 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the A390.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and A390 is 88 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by seeing technical specs. The image below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and A390.

As you have seen, each of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A390 will produce more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more modern E-PL3 should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.