Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-420

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus E-3 and the Olympus E-420, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Olympus E-3 was introduced in February 2008 and Olympus E-420 was introduced in June 2008. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus E-3 Highlights

      • 10.0 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.5" 230k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Olympus E-420 Highlights

      • 10.0 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • 2.7" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Olympus E-3
      4. Advantage of Olympus E-420
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-420.

      PROS

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Advantage of Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-3
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-3 over Olympus E-420.

      Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-420
      Higher Native ISO 3,200 vs 1,600
      More Focus Points 11 vs 3
      Image Stabilization Sensor Shift vs
      Screen Type Fully Articulated vs Fixed
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 95%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.58x vs 0.46x
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/8000 sec vs 1/4000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps vs 3.5 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/250 sec vs 1/180 sec
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 571 vs 527
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.6 vs 21.5
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 10.5 vs 10.4
      Environmental Sealing vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-3.

      Olympus E-620
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-510
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-330
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-1
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      5 MP

      Olympus E-5
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-520
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-450
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-410
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-400
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Sigma sd Quattro H
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      APS-H

      44.8 MP

      Sigma sd Quattro
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      29 MP

      Canon 5DS R
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Advantage of Olympus E-420

      Olympus E-420
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-420 over Olympus E-3.

      Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-420
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 2.5" vs 2.7"
      Lighter 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz) vs 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-420.

      Olympus E-410
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-500
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-450
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-300
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-330
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      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-620
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-510
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-520
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-5
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-400
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-600
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-30
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Olympus E-3 Olympus E-420
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus E-3 Olympus E-420
        No Video Capture
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        Low Resolution Sensor10.0 Megapixel10.0 Megapixel
        Low Native ISO3,2001,600
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points113
        No Face Detection
        Low Resolution Screen230k dot230k dot
        Low DxO Overall Score5656
        No HDMI Output
        No Built-in Microphone
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Olympus E-3 has a 2.5" Fully Articulated screen with 230k dot resolution and Olympus E-420 has a 2.7" Fixed screen with 230k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Olympus E-3 selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.


      Viewfinder

      Olympus E-3 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinderOlympus E-420 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. Olympus E-3 has 100% coverage with 1.15x (0.58x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Olympus E-420 has 95% coverage with 0.92x (0.46x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Olympus E-3 features a 10.0 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200. Olympus E-420 features a 10.0 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Cameras are equipped with TruePic III processor and can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. They can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-3 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Olympus E-3, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-420. Olympus E-3 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Olympus E-420 can shoot continuously up to 3.5 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m on Olympus E-3 and 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Olympus E-420. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Olympus E-3 and via Hot Shoe to Olympus E-420. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Olympus E-3 and 1/180 sec on Olympus E-420.

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus E-3 body has dimensions of 142 x 116 x 75 mm (5.59 x 4.57 x 2.95") and Olympus E-420 body has dimensions of 130 x 91 x 53 mm (5.12 x 3.58 x 2.09"). Olympus E-3 weighs 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz) and Olympus E-420 weighs 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz).

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      142 mm

      116 mm

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      130 mm

      91 mm

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      116 mm

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      91 mm

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      75 mm

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      53 mm

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      Size comparisons of Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-420

      Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-420 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      AVERAGE
      64
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      56
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      75
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      70
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      82
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)
      GOOD
      79
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      82
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)
      GOOD
      81
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-420 and give them scores of 61 and 55 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      OVERALL
      61
      OVERALL
      55

      Sensor

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56

      Photo

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      74
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      GOOD
      78
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      79
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-420

      GOOD
      77
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)
      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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