Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony WX220

Here is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony WX220, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and WX220 (18MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and WX220 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was announced 3 years before the WX220 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX220 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-PL3 scores versus the WX220 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Sony WX220 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 features outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Sony WX220 has proportions of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony WX220 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the WX220.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and WX220 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizing only by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic here should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and WX220.

Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 having a bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony WX220 will render greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.