Leica M11 Monochrome vs Olympus E-PL3

In this article, we will be looking at the Leica M11 Monochrome vs Olympus E-PL3, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Leica and Olympus. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the M11 Monochrome (60MP) and E-PL3 (12MP) and the M11 Monochrome (Full frame) and E-PL3 (Four Thirds) use totally different sensor size.

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The M11 Monochrome was launched 11 years later than the E-PL3 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise view of how the M11 Monochrome scores versus the E-PL3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Leica M11 Monochrome and Olympus PEN E-PL3. The complete galleries are available at Leica M11 Monochrome Gallery and Olympus E-PL3 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and proportions. The Leica M11 Monochrome comes with outer measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 39mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 640 grams (1.41 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL3 has measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).

See the Leica M11 Monochrome vs Olympus E-PL3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the M11 Monochrome against the E-PL3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the M11 Monochrome and E-PL3 is 76 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the M11 Monochrome and E-PL3.

As you can see, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The M11 Monochrome because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Leica M11 Monochrome will render greater detail utilizing its extra 48 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher M11 Monochrome will have an advantage in sensor tech.