Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony WX300

Here is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony WX300, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and WX300 (18MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and WX300 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was revealed 17 months before the WX300 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX300 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PL3 grades versus the WX300 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX300. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony WX300 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera often, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys outside 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) while the Sony WX300 has sizing of 96mm x 55mm x 25mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 166 grams (0.37 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony WX300 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 against the WX300.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and WX300 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and WX300.

As you can see, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Sony WX300 will provide you with greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos much more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.