Olympus E-PL3 vs Sony WX5

The following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony WX5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the WX5 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and WX5 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 15 months after the WX5 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL3 grades vs the WX5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Sony WX5 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with external measurements 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 WX5 has proportions of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") having a weight of 146 grams (0.32 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Sony WX5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL3 vs the WX5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and WX5 is 88 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions just by going through technical specs. The pic below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and WX5.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature the identical megapixels albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 contains the bigger sensor which will make obtaining bokeh less difficult. The fresher E-PL3 should have an edge in sensor tech.