Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980
88 Imaging
47 Features
52 Overall
49
94 Imaging
34 Features
17 Overall
27
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
- Launched September 2011
- Replaced the Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- 1280 x 720 video
- 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
- 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
- Revealed February 2009
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Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony S980, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the S980 (12MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and S980 (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.
Photography GlossaryThe E-PL3 was revealed 2 years after the S980 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S980 being a Compact camera.
Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-PL3 matches up against the S980 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony S980 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Sony S980
| E-PL3 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | September 2011 |  | February 2009 | More modern by 32 months |
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen dimension | 3" |  | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
| Screen resolution | 460k |  | 230k | Clearer screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony S980 over the Olympus E-PL3
| S980 | E-PL3 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony S980
| E-PL3 | S980 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | More accurate focus | ||
| Selfie screen |  | No selfie screen | ||
| Touch screen |  | Neither has Touch screen |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 has external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Sony S980 has measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony S980 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the S980.
Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and S980 is 88 and 94 respectively.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be tough to picture the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading through technical specs. The pic underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and S980.
As you can tell, both cameras have got the exact same megapixel count albeit different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 has the bigger sensor which is going to make achieving bokeh simpler. The newer E-PL3 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony S980 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S980 |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
| Launched | 2011-09-20 | 2009-02-17 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | Truepic VI | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Max native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 200 | 80 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 35 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 33-132mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/3.3-5.2 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 10cm |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 2.7" |
| Display resolution | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 2 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/1600 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 6.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 3.50 m |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash sync | 1/160 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 313 grams (0.69 pounds) | 167 grams (0.37 pounds) |
| Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 52 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 20.9 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 499 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 pictures | - |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | BLS-5 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Retail cost | $399 | $300 |