Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
48


86 Imaging
54 Features
76 Overall
62
Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Revealed February 2008
- Succeeded the Olympus E-1
- Newer Model is Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
- Launched September 2016
- Replaced the Olympus E-PL7
- Replacement is Olympus E-PL9

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Overview
Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-PL8, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are created by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and E-PL8 (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor size (Four Thirds).

The E-3 was unveiled 9 years earlier than the E-PL8 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-3 grades vs the E-PL8 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 & Olympus PEN E-PL8. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Olympus E-PL8 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Olympus E-PL8
E-3 | E-PL8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL8 over the Olympus E-3
E-PL8 | E-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | September 2016 | ![]() | February 2008 | More recent by 104 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+807k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-PL8
E-3 | E-PL8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focus |
Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Physical Comparison
For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 provides outside measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL8 has dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-3 and Olympus E-PL8 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-3 versus the E-PL8.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and E-PL8 is 56 and 86 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements merely by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and E-PL8.
As you can see, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus E-PL8 to resolve extra detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL8 Specifications
Olympus E-3 | Olympus PEN E-PL8 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
Model | Olympus E-3 | Olympus PEN E-PL8 |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2008-02-20 | 2016-09-19 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic III | TruePic VII |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4608 x 3456 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW data | ||
Min boosted ISO | - | 100 |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 81 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
Total lenses | 45 | 107 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Display size | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 230 thousand dot | 1,037 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic (optional) |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 5.0 frames per sec | 8.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 13.00 m | no built-in flash |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | no built-in flash |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | - | H.264, Motion JPEG |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 890g (1.96 lbs) | 357g (0.79 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 56 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.6 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.5 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 571 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 350 photos |
Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC card |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail pricing | $670 | $500 |