• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.3 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 12,800
  • APS-C 369.7mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 16,000

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Differences

Olympus E-P3 advantages over Sony A57

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Thinner
    34 mm vs 80 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    490g vs 828g
    Lighter weight
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony A57 advantages over Olympus E-P3

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Better color depth
    23.4 vs 20.8 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    785 vs 536 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.0 vs 10.1 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 550 vs 330 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    922k vs 614k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More pixels
    16.1 vs 12.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    10.0 fps vs 3.1 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Both provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • External Mic Jack
    Neither provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

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Review Excerpt

  • Extremely fast autofocus; Pop-up flash and AF-assist lamp; Full HD recording; wisely limited focus for touchscreen; excellent print quality results; removable grip.

  • Larger than some competitors (see E-PL3 if you prefer a smaller camera); strong noise suppression; touchscreen easily activated by mistake; list of options is overwhelming; shoulder strap D-rings are noisy.

  • We haven’t finished our review of the Sony A57, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-P2

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-P2
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
  • $1100
  • 4/3
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Sony A57
Olympus E-P2
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1100
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Thinner

Compared to Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-PL2
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • More dots on screen
  • $600
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
Sony A57
Olympus E-PL2
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $600
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Nikon D5100

Olympus E-P3
Nikon D5100
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Thinner
  • $650
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Sony A57
Nikon D5100
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $650
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Tilt-swivel screen

Compared to Olympus E-PL3

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-PL3
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • Internal flash
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Tiltable Screen
Sony A57
Olympus E-PL3
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Thinner

Compared to Pentax K-5 IIs

Olympus E-P3
Pentax K-5 IIs
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Thinner
  • $497
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Sony A57
Pentax K-5 IIs
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $497
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Higher effective ISO
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