Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX80

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX80, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and HX80 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 5 years before the HX80 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-PL3 scores versus the HX80 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

In case you're planning to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Sony HX80 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony HX80 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 vs the HX80.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and HX80 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to see the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading technical specs. The image underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and HX80.

As you have seen, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony HX80 will deliver more detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.