Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX10V

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX10V, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and HX10V (18MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and HX10V (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was announced 5 months prior to the HX10V so they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX10V being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-PL3 scores against the HX10V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony HX10V Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Sony HX10V has dimensions of 105mm x 60mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 234 grams (0.52 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX10V in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL3 against the HX10V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and HX10V is 88 and 91 respectively.

Normally, its tough to see the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through technical specs. The visual below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and HX10V.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony HX10V will provide you with greater detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively.