Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX300

Here, we are comparing the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX300, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and HX300 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL3 was released 17 months before the HX300 making them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-PL3 matches up vs the HX300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 offers physical 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) whilst the Sony HX300 has measurements of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") and a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX300 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL3 against the HX300.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and HX300 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and HX300.

As you can see, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX300 will render more detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be behind in sensor tech.