Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A3000

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A3000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and A3000 (20MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A3000 (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The E-PM1 was announced 21 months prior to the A3000 which makes them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A3000 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PM1 scores vs the A3000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Sony Alpha A3000. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Sony A3000 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM1 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Sony A3000 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A3000 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-PM1 vs the A3000.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and A3000 is 89 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor sizing just by reading technical specs. The graphic below should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM1 and A3000.

As you can tell, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh harder and the Sony A3000 will offer you extra detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The older E-PM1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.