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Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3

Portability
59
Imaging
38
Features
36
Overall
37
Olympus E-1 front
 
Olympus PEN E-PL3 front
Portability
88
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 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
  • Announced November 2003
  • Newer Model is Olympus E-3
Olympus E-PL3
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
  • Released September 2011
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-PL2
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Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 Overview

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are sold by Olympus. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-PL3 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was released 8 years prior to the E-PL3 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech 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-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-1 matches up versus the E-PL3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Olympus E-PL3

 E-1 E-PL3 

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Olympus E-1

 E-PL3 E-1 
ReleasedSeptember 2011November 2003More recent by 95 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"1.8"Bigger screen (+1.2")
Screen resolution460k134kClearer screen (+326k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-PL3

 E-1 E-PL3 
Manual focus Very exact focusing
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor in 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) 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).

Take a look at the Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-1 and the E-PL3.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and E-PL3 is 59 and 88 respectively.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading a spec sheet. The visual here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and E-PL3.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different megapixels. You can count on the Olympus E-PL3 to deliver more detail as a result of its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-1 Portrait photography information
Olympus E-PL3 Portrait photography information
46
focusing manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
does not have liveview
MP count low (5MP)
60
focusing manually
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
low megapixels (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-1
Street photography with Olympus E-PL3
57
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
weather sealing
lighter than others in class (735 grams)
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
84
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-1
Sports photography with Olympus E-PL3
40
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
weather sealing
comes with phase detect AF
does not have liveview
max fps low (3.0 fps)
no image stabilization
MP count low (5 megapixels)
45
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking autofocus
continuous shooting slow (6.0 fps)
low megapixels (12MP)
low battery life (300 shots)
lack of phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-1 Travel photography info
Olympus E-PL3 Travel photography info
47
lighter than others in class (735g)
weather sealing
does not have Time Lapse recording
MP count low (5 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
44
does not have Time Lapse mode
low battery life (300 shots)
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-1 Landscape photography details
Olympus E-PL3 Landscape photography details
46
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
weather sealing
small screen (1.8")
does not have liveview
no image stabilization
MP count low (5 megapixels)
does not have Time Lapse recording
61
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
low megapixels (12MP)
low battery life (300 shots)
does not have Time Lapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-1 Vlogging advice
Olympus E-PL3 Vlogging advice
9
can't record video
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
provides face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have external mic jack
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Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-PL3
 Olympus E-1Olympus PEN E-PL3
General Information
Company Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus E-1 Olympus PEN E-PL3
Category Pro DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Announced 2003-11-29 2011-09-20
Body design Large SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Truepic VI
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 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 100 200
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 3 35
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Amount of lenses 45 107
Focal length multiplier 2.1 2.1
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display size 1.8" 3"
Resolution of display 134k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display technology - HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type 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 3.0 frames per second 6.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels)
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/180s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
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 file format - AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
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 lbs) 313 grams (0.69 lbs)
Dimensions 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 52
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 20.9
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 10.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 499
Other
Battery life - 300 images
Battery format - Battery Pack
Battery ID - BLS-5
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots 1 1
Retail pricing $1,700 $399