The crops are taken from the original images, saved as High Quality JPEGs in Photoshop CS2 and presented here at 100%. Each number represents 100 lines per picture height (lpph), so a figure of 20 means a resolution of 2000 lpph.

Fitted with the Zuiko Digital 12-60mm SWD lens at f8, the Olympus E-3 resolved 2200 lpph of horizontal and vertical resolution. This places it comfortably above the Canon EOS 40D and close to the Nikon D300 and Sony A700 results.

Note the E-3 does has a slight advantage in this test though thanks to its narrower 4:3 aspect ratio resulting in a slightly higher vertical resolution than traditional 10 Megapixel cameras which spread their resolution over a wider 3:2 aspect ratio. This is one of the reasons we’re not surprised to see it out-perform the EOS 40D when both are capturing the same vertical picture height, but even with that taken into consideration, 2200 lpph is still a good result for the E-3.

With the quality 12-60mm SWD lens, it edges ahead of the 10 Megapixel E-510 and delivers a result close to higher resolution 12 Megapixel models. While the D300 and A700 are resolving greater detail in this studio test, it’s not a great deal more and doesn’t make a big difference in real-life situations. Certainly while 10 Megapixels sounds relatively modest for a semi-pro model, the E-3 can essentially keep up with its current rivals. The big question is what resolution will Olympus implement in the future with the smaller Four Thirds sensor, but for now the E-3 has nothing to worry about in the resolution department.

To see how shooting in RAW affects this test, scroll to the bottom of this page, or head straight over to our Olympus E-3 noise results page where we’ll see how it performs across its sensitivity range next to the Nikon D300.