Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony RX1

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony RX1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and RX1 (Full frame) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 17 months prior to the RX1 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL3 scores against the RX1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony RX1 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 has outside measurements 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 RX1 has proportions of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony RX1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL3 vs the RX1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and RX1 is 88 and 79 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to picture the difference in sensor dimensions simply by going through specs. The pic here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and RX1.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony RX1 will provide more detail having an extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.