Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus SH-3

Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-PL7 and Olympus SH-3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are sold by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the SH-3 (16MP) is very close but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and SH-3 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL7 was announced 17 months prior to the SH-3 making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-PL7 grades against the SH-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Olympus Stylus SH-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Olympus SH-3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL7 provides outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus SH-3 has measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL7 and Olympus SH-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL7 vs the SH-3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL7 and SH-3 is 86 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by looking through specs. The picture underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL7 and SH-3.

All in all, the 2 cameras feature the identical megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The E-PL7 offers the larger sensor which should make getting shallow depth of field easier. The more aged E-PL7 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.