Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000
88 Imaging
52 Features
72 Overall
60


69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
- Introduced September 2012
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Announced August 2013
- New Model is Sony a3500

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Overview
Below, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony A3000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the A3000 (20MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A3000 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

The E-PL5 was released 11 months prior to the A3000 and they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL5 matches up against the A3000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Alpha A3000. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A3000 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Sony A3000
E-PL5 | A3000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+230k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A3000 over the Olympus E-PL5
A3000 | E-PL5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | August 2013 | ![]() | September 2012 | Newer by 11 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony A3000
E-PL5 | A3000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical screen measurements |
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Physical Comparison
If you're planning to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 offers external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony A3000 has sizing of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony A3000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 vs the A3000.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and A3000 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The image underneath might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and A3000.
As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A3000 will offer greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A3000 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony Alpha A3000 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony Alpha A3000 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2012-09-17 | 2013-08-27 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | - | BIONZ image |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 20MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5456 x 3632 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Available lenses | 107 | 121 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of screen | 460k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen tech | - | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.47x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 8.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/250 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | AVCHD, H.264, MP4 |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 325 grams (0.72 lbs) | 411 grams (0.91 lbs) |
Dimensions | 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 72 | 78 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | 23.7 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | 12.8 |
DXO Low light rating | 889 | 1068 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 photos | 470 photos |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | - |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at release | $400 | $398 |