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Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3 Comparison

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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
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Olympus E-3

10 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-3
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Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7R III, which was introduced in October 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Olympus E-3, which was introduced in February 2008 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 10.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, E-3 is 9 years older than A7R III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R II Compare

Olympus E-3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2008-02-20
  • 10MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.50" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 890g. 142 x 116 x 75 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Olympus E-1 Compare

Sony A7R III was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Alpha A7R III
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Olympus E-3

Olympus E-3 was replaced by Olympus E-5. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-3
Olympus E-5 vs Sony Alpha A7R III

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Olympus E-3
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.78x vs 0.58x Larger Viewfinder
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 10 MP 320% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 3.200 900% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 11 414 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3″ vs 2.5" 0.5 inches larger display
LCD Resolution
1.440k dots vs 230k dots 526% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Weight
657 g vs 890 g 233 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth
26.0 vs 21.6 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.7 vs 10.5 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3523 vs 571 better High ISO performance
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs None Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A7R III PRICE


Reasons to choose Olympus E-3 over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Sensor Pixel Area
22.54µm2 vs 20.43µm2 10% larger pixel area
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
CHECK E-3 PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Olympus E-3
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fully Articulated Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Olympus E-3
LCD Screen Size
2.50" vs 2.50" Small display
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7R III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 657 g (1.45 lb / 23.17 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-3 has external dimensions of 142 x 116 x 75 mm (5.59 x 4.57 x 2.95″) and weighs 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3. Sony A7R III is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 20mm shorter and 1mm thinner than Olympus E-3.

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3.

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R III is significantly lighter (233g ) than the Olympus E-3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A7R III has a Full frame sensor and Olympus E-3 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-3's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7R III lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7R III
E-3
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7R III
E-3
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7R III and E-3 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus E-3's 2.5" screen.

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-3 has a 10.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic III processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 32MP more than Olympus E-3's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and E-3 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 3.8x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-3. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A7R III has scored 100, 44 points higher than E-3.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7R III 100 26.0 bits 14.7 Evs 3523 ISO
Olympus E-3 56 21.6 bits 10.5 Evs 571 ISO
Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A7R III has an advantage over Olympus E-3. There are 184 lenses for Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 47 lenses for Olympus E-3's Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. A7R III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Olympus E-3 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 (13 Full Frame) 8
Standard Prime 32 (18 Full Frame) 5
Wideangle Zoom 12 (10 Full Frame) 4
Wideangle Prime 57 (39 Full Frame) 9
Telephoto Zoom 15 (13 Full Frame) 6
Telephoto Prime 26 (20 Full Frame) 5
SuperZoom 10 (2 Full Frame) 2
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 3
Macro Prime 9 (8 Full Frame) 4
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 184 (125 Full Frame) 47

What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A7R III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-3 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-3 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-3 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
11 Focus Points
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-3 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
890g
Body Thickness 75mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-3 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Olympus E-3: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A7R III and Olympus E-3 scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 102 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #11 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Olympus E-3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #60 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #435 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus E-3 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Olympus E-3
Olympus E-3
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Olympus E-3 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Olympus E-3
Brand Sony Olympus
Announced 2017-10-25 2008-02-20
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Four Thirds
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 861.60mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 3648 x 2736
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 3,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 425 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 184 47
Screen
Type Tilting Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 2.50"
Resolution 1,440k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.58x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 13.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 None
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 890g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 142 x 116 x 75mm
Battery Life 650 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 56
DxO Color Depth 26.0 21.6
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 10.5
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 571
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