Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony NEX-C3

Here is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Sony NEX-C3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the NEX-C3 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and NEX-C3 (APS-C) come with different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was released 6 years later than the NEX-C3 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL9 matches up against the NEX-C3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 provides external dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony NEX-C3 has dimensions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL9 versus Sony NEX-C3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL9 against the NEX-C3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and NEX-C3 is 85 and 91 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at specs. The visual here will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and NEX-C3.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras enjoy the same exact megapixel count but different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 contains the tinier sensor which will make achieving bokeh harder. The fresher E-PL9 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.