Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony NEX-5

Below, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony NEX-5, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is very close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was launched 16 months later than the NEX-5 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-PL3 matches up vs the NEX-5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys 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) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony NEX-5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the NEX-5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and NEX-5 is 88 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing only by viewing specs. The visual below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and NEX-5.

All in all, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-5 will result in more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.