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Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Olympus PEN E-P3 front
Portability
86
Imaging
48
Features
60
Overall
52

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Key Specs

Olympus E-1
(Full Review)
  • 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 1.8" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
  • Introduced November 2003
  • Newer Model is Olympus E-3
Olympus E-P3
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
  • Released August 2011
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-P2
  • Renewed by Olympus E-P5
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Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Overview

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-P3, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are produced by Olympus. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-P3 (12MP) but they use the exact same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was revealed 8 years before the E-P3 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-1 grades against the E-P3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Olympus E-P3

 E-1 E-P3 

Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Olympus E-1

 E-P3 E-1 
ReleasedAugust 2011November 2003More recent by 93 months
Screen dimension3"1.8"Bigger screen (+1.2")
Screen resolution614k134kClearer screen (+480k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-P3

 E-1 E-P3 
Manually focus More accurate focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 has exterior measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 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).

Contrast the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-P3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-1 compared to the E-P3.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and E-P3 is 59 and 86 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements simply by reviewing technical specs. The photograph below will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and E-P3.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Olympus E-P3 to deliver more detail because of its extra 7MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-1
Portrait photography with Olympus E-P3
46
you can focus manually
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
no liveview
low megapixels (5 megapixels)
60
focusing manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection focusing
delivers RAW formats
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Olympus E-1 Street photography advice
Olympus E-P3 Street photography advice
57
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
weather proofing
lighter than competition (735g)
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
76
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
supports focus by touch
no moving screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-1 Sports photography factors
Olympus E-P3 Sports photography factors
40
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
weather proofing
has phase detect autofocus
no liveview
slow fps (3.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (5MP)
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames per second)
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
doesn't have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-1 Travel photography highlights
Olympus E-P3 Travel photography highlights
47
lighter than competition (735 grams)
weather proofing
missing Timelapse mode
low megapixels (5MP)
does not have a selfie friendly display
60
supports focus by touch
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse recording
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-1
Landscape photography with Olympus E-P3
46
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
weather proofing
small screen (1.8 inches)
no liveview
does not have image stabilization
low megapixels (5MP)
missing Timelapse mode
65
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-1
Vlogging with Olympus E-P3
9
can't record video
35
screen is touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection focusing
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of external microphone port
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Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-P3
 Olympus E-1Olympus PEN E-P3
General Information
Make Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus E-1 Olympus PEN E-P3
Category Pro DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2003-11-29 2011-08-17
Body design Large SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by - TruePic VI
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 5 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Highest Possible resolution 2560 x 1920 4032 x 3024
Maximum native ISO 3200 12800
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 3 35
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Number of lenses 45 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 1.8 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 134k dot 614k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display tech - 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.48x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 60s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed 3.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 10.00 m (@ ISO 200)
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels)
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/180s 1/180s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 735 grams (1.62 lb) 369 grams (0.81 lb)
Dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 51
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 20.8
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 10.1
DXO Low light rating not tested 536
Other
Battery life - 330 shots
Battery form - Battery Pack
Battery ID - BLS-5
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Storage slots 1 1
Retail pricing $1,700 $0