Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony NEX-3N

The following is a extensive overview of the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony NEX-3N, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and NEX-3N (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3N (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM1 was manufactured 15 months earlier than the NEX-3N making the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PM1 grades against the NEX-3N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 enjoys outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3N has sizing of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony NEX-3N in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the NEX-3N.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and NEX-3N is 89 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions only by viewing technical specs. The image underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM1 and NEX-3N.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-3N will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-PM1 will be behind in sensor innovation.