Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony NEX-5T

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony NEX-5T, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5T (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL3 was launched 23 months prior to the NEX-5T which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-PL3 grades versus the NEX-5T with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 offers outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5T has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony NEX-5T in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL3 against the NEX-5T.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and NEX-5T is 88 and 89 respectively.

Generally, its tough to picture the gap between sensor measurements purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and NEX-5T.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh trickier and the Sony NEX-5T will offer greater detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older E-PL3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.