Leica M9-P vs Olympus E-P3

Following is a extensive review of the Leica M9-P vs Olympus E-P3, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Leica and Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the M9-P (18MP) and E-P3 (12MP) and the M9-P (Full frame) and E-P3 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The M9-P was released about the same time to the E-P3 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the M9-P matches up versus the E-P3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica M9-P & Olympus PEN E-P3. The complete galleries are provided at Leica M9-P Gallery & Olympus E-P3 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you need to factor its weight and proportions. The Leica M9-P has got outside dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") having a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) and the Olympus E-P3 has measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs).

Check the Leica M9-P vs Olympus E-P3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the M9-P vs the E-P3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the M9-P and E-P3 is 78 and 86 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by researching a spec sheet. The picture here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the M9-P and E-P3.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The M9-P featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Leica M9-P will render extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a bit more aggressively.