Canon M3 vs Olympus E-P1

Let's look a bit more closely at the Canon M3 versus Olympus E-P1, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by manufacturers Canon and Olympus. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the M3 (24MP) and E-P1 (12MP) and the M3 (APS-C) and E-P1 (Four Thirds) boast different sensor sizing.

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The M3 was launched 5 years later than the E-P1 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before going right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summary of how the M3 scores vs the E-P1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon EOS M3 & Olympus PEN E-P1. The complete galleries are provided at Canon M3 Gallery & Olympus E-P1 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Canon M3 comes with exterior dimensions of 111mm x 68mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 366 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Olympus E-P1 has specifications of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs).

See the Canon M3 versus Olympus E-P1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the M3 against the E-P1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the M3 and E-P1 is 85 and 86 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements merely by going over a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the M3 and E-P1.

As you can see, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The M3 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Canon M3 will offer you greater detail utilizing its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more modern M3 provides an edge in sensor tech.