Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony W560

The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony W560, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the W560 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and W560 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was announced 9 months after the W560 and they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W560 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the W560 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W560. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony W560 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera often, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys 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 W560 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL3 versus Sony W560 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 vs the W560.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and W560 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by looking at a spec sheet. The pic here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and W560.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony W560 will give greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL3 provides an edge in sensor innovation.