Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3: Defining the Gap Between Pro Mirrorless and Entry-Level Compact

If you’re in the market for a camera, the difference between a professional-level mirrorless model and a compact point-and-shoot can feel like comparing apples and, well, pocket-sized oranges. Today, I’m diving deep into two cameras that couldn’t be more different yet often sit side by side in conversations about quality and value: the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II (E-M1 II for short) and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 (just “S3” from here). One’s an advanced Micro Four Thirds powerhouse announced back in 2016; the other, a petite 2011 compact aimed at simple snapshots.

Over my 15+ years testing cameras, I’ve come across many such pairings, and it’s fascinating how specs, use-case, and craftsmanship shape what feels like night and day. Buckle up, because this comparison isn’t just about numbers but real-world shooting scenarios across genres (portrait, landscape, wildlife, and more), image quality impact, user experience, and ultimately, who should even consider these cameras today.

Getting a Feel for the Cameras: Size and Ergonomics Matter

Before even pressing a shutter button, how a camera feels in hand dramatically influences your shooting comfort and creative freedom. Let’s start with physicality.

The Olympus E-M1 II is a dedicated professional mirrorless system camera, constructed with a robust magnesium alloy body. Its dimensions of 134 x 91 x 67 mm and weight of 574 grams convey a confident presence without being unwieldy. For those who love the classic DSLR-style grip and an abundance of manual controls at their fingertips, this is far from a compromise. Olympus added weather sealing to protect against dust and moisture - something I tested vigorously on field shoots in variable climates. Its fully articulating 3-inch touchscreen LCD feels lively and responsive.

Contrast this with the Panasonic S3, which is more a pocketable travel companion with a fixed 2.7-inch LCD screen, considerably lower-res at 230k dots. Weighing just 117 grams and measuring 99 x 59 x 21 mm, it nearly disappears in your hand or jacket pocket. The lens is permanently affixed (28-112mm equivalent), which means no swapping optics here, and the ergonomics, frankly, are minimalist. Push buttons dominate, but tactile feedback and layout feel dated. It’s perfect for walkaround casual photography but doesn’t inspire extended sessions.

Visualizing the Design: Top View and Controls

Handling a camera efficiently also depends on the design and accessibility of controls.

At first glance, the E-M1 II lays out a rich array of dials, buttons, and toggles on its top plate. Dedicated dials for ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation, and multiple customizable buttons place creative control immediately under your fingers. The lack of an LCD data panel on the top is replaced by the informative viewfinder and rear screen displays - something I find a mixed bag depending on your shooting style.

The Panasonic S3’s top panel is ultra-simple - a mode dial, zoom toggle, shutter release, and a flash pop-up button. It’s straightforward but not honed for speed or granular control. For beginners or those upgrading from smartphone photography, this compact setup is un-intimidating but limiting.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Arguably, the sensor defines the heart and soul of a camera’s imaging capability. Here’s where the E-M1 II and S3 offer fundamentally different roots.

Olympus equips the E-M1 II with a 20-megapixel Four Thirds sensor (17.4 x 13 mm), noticeably larger than the 1/2.3” CCD sensor (6.08 x 4.56 mm) inside the Panasonic S3. That difference - around 8 times the sensor area - impacts light gathering, dynamic range, noise performance, and ultimately image fidelity.

In practice, the E-M1 II delivers richly detailed 5184 x 3888 px files that maintain clarity well into ISO 3200 and beyond, something I verified under controlled lab lighting and in dim environments. DxOMark rates the E-M1 II with a color depth of 23.7 bits and excellent dynamic range over 12.8 EV, which translates into natural skin tones and nuanced shadow detail.

The S3’s sensor maxes out at 14 megapixels with a max ISO of 6400 but is hampered by its smaller chip and older CCD technology, which introduces notable noise above ISO 400. Color depth and dynamic range are not DxOMark tested but, from experience, its files are lifeless under complex lighting, showing aggressive noise reduction wiping details. Still, fine for casual snapshots or web sharing.

What’s on the Back? LCD and Interface Comparison

User interaction unfolds largely through the rear screen.

The Olympus E-M1 II’s 3-inch articulating touchscreen LCD boasts a high resolution of 1037k dots and touch capabilities enabling quick focus point changing, menu navigation, and pinch-zooming images. This flexibility proved invaluable during low-angle macros and video framing. The tilting design lets you shoot awkward angles with ease, and the electronic viewfinder (2.36M dots, 100% coverage) feels immersive and precise - a real boon for composing under bright light.

Conversely, the Panasonic S3’s fixed 2.7-inch 230k dots TFT LCD is a modest window. No touchscreen here, and the resolution makes it difficult to critically check focus or exposure in the field. There’s no viewfinder, so composing in bright yard sunlight means guessing or framing blindly, which can frustrate.

Performance in Portrait Photography

Skin tone rendering, bokeh quality, and autofocus precision central to portraits reveal these cameras’ character.

The Olympus E-M1 II excels with its advanced 121-point hybrid AF system, combining phase and contrast detection. Eye detection autofocus works well, reliably locking in on portraits - a thrilling feature for wedding or street portrait shooters. The sensor’s color science renders naturalistic skin tones without heavy smoothing. Plus, the Micro Four Thirds lens ecosystem offers stellar prime options for creamy bokeh, producing shallow depth of field even at moderate apertures because of exceptional glass quality.

On the flip side, the Panasonic S3’s contrast-detection AF and 11 focus points generally lag behind in speed and accuracy, often hunting in low light or complex scenes. Its fixed zoom lens (F3.1-5.6) doesn’t afford much background separation, resulting in flat-looking portraits with fuzzy details in the background rather than smooth bokeh. Skin tones suffer from limited color fidelity and noise at anything beyond ISO 100.

In short: serious portrait artists will prefer the E-M1 II hands down.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Durability

Landscape shooters crave expansive dynamic range to handle bright skies and deep shadows, alongside high resolution and often weather sealing for field resilience.

The Olympus’s 20 MP sensor and 12.8 EV dynamic range enable capturing rich tonal gradations in challenging lighting. The E-M1 II’s dust- and splash-proof weather sealing allows outdoor usage in rain, dust storms, or chill - conditions I stress-tested on mountain hikes. The articulating screen helps with tripod composing from low or high vantage points.

The Panasonic S3 is much more limited here. The smaller sensor’s restricted dynamic range means clipping highlight and muddy shadows in scenes with extreme contrast. There’s no weather sealing, so shooting in rain or damp conditions must be done cautiously or avoided. The lens’s moderate wide end (28mm equiv.) and limited resolution constrain large-printed or highly cropped landscape imagery.

If landscapes are your passion, the Olympus model is clearly the stronger pick.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Speed and Tracking

Shooting birds or fast-paced sports demands rapid autofocus, high continuous shooting frame rates, and effective subject tracking.

The Olympus E-M1 II supports blazing 60 fps burst shooting with its electronic shutter (albeit at reduced resolution and for up to 20 frames), and 10 fps with the mechanical shutter - more than ample in hand. The 121 focus points and advanced AF algorithms enable consistent tracking of erratic wildlife movements. I used it extensively on birding trips with long telephoto zooms, and the camera rarely lost focus, even in shade.

The Panasonic S3, designed as an everyday travel snapshot camera, maxes out at 2 fps continuous shooting - a crawl compared to the competition. Its basic 11-point contrast AF lacks tracking, making it unsuitable for wildlife or action sports. Autofocus lag and shutter response also contribute to many missed shots.

Months of field testing confirm the Olympus system as vastly superior for fast-moving subjects.

Street Photography and Travel: Discretion vs Versatility

Street photographers value size, unobtrusiveness, and quick responsiveness, while travel photographers seek versatility and battery endurance.

The Panasonic S3 shines for pure portability - small, lightweight, and quiet with a built-in stabilizer - making it easy to carry and spontaneous to shoot. The fixed 28-112mm lens covers most street focal lengths without swapping lenses. However, limited ISO flexibility and the absence of an EVF can yield missed shots under tough lighting.

The Olympus E-M1 II is larger but remains portable among professional-grade cameras. Battery life (approx. 350 shots) meets mid-day shooting demands, and dual card slots add security for travel work. Weather sealing supports all-weather reliability, a key differentiator if you shoot in unpredictable conditions. Its silent shutter mode aids discreet street shooting, though it’s louder than the S3 overall.

For travel photography that demands flexibility, I prefer the E-M1 II; for casual urban photo walks with weight limits, the Panasonic S3 suffices.

Macro and Close-Up Details: Stability and Precision Focus

Macro enthusiasts require precise manual focus control, focus stacking, and stabilization.

Olympus’s in-body 5-axis image stabilization stabilizes even the longest macro shots, reducing blur significantly. The E-M1 II offers focus bracketing and stacking features via firmware - tools I found useful to extend depth of field in flower and insect macros. The articulating screen facilitates ground-level framing.

The Panasonic S3 may focus as close as 5 cm, but its autofocus isn’t optimized for macro precision and lacks stabilization beyond optical lens IS. Fixed lens limits options for true macro shooters aiming to swap in specialized glass.

For serious macro work, Olympus is the firm recommendation.

Nighttime and Astro Photography: High ISO and Exposure Modes

Low-light and astrophotography push sensor noise and exposure capabilities.

Olympus provides a native ISO range of 200-25600 and access to raw files, allowing extensive post-processing in dark scenes. The sensor handles high ISO noise comparatively well, and selectable electronic shutter speeds extend to 1/32000s enabling creative exposure control during star trail captures or moonlit shots. I’ve personally tested the E-M1 II under starry skies, and it doesn’t disappoint.

The Panasonic S3 maxes out native ISO 6400, but its smaller sensor and CCD introduce noise quickly above ISO 400. It shoots limited video and only offers compressed JPG files, restricting editing latitude. Exposure times max at 1.6 sec shutter speeds, not enough for true astro long exposures.

Night shooters should look no further than Olympus here.

Video Capabilities: Professional to Basic

Video is a crucial component for many users today.

The E-M1 II supports 4K UHD video recording at 30 fps and 4K DCI (4096x2160) at 24p, using MOV/H.264 with an impressive 237 Mbps bitrate option for sharp quality. 5-axis in-body stabilization helps smooth handheld footage. Both mic and headphone jacks are available to monitor and plug in audio devices - features professionals appreciate.

The Panasonic S3 offers only 720p HD at 30 fps, MPEG-4 codec, no external mic jack, and no headphone port. Its video capabilities are best thought of as simple clips for personal use, definitely no match for professional or serious enthusiast filmmakers.

Those with a strong video interest will find the Olympus model fully capable and future-proof.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity: Practical Daily Use

Using the camera through a full day boils down to endurance and ease of transferring photos.

Olympus uses a BLH-1 battery offering around 350 shots per charge, quite respectable for a mirrorless system, and the dual SD card slots enable overflow or backup - a safety net for pros. USB 3.0 speeds facilitate quick tethered workflows, and built-in Wi-Fi permits remote shooting and swift transfers. The omission of GPS is a minor quibble.

The Panasonic S3’s battery life delivers roughly 250 shots per charge, not bad for a compact, but slower USB 2.0 transfer (no Wi-Fi) and single SD card storage cap things. You’ll need to physically swap cards to offload, and lack of wireless connectivity makes on-the-go sharing cumbersome.

Price and Value: Where Does Your Money Go?

At launch, the Olympus E-M1 II listed around $1700 body-only - definitely a strong investment in a professional-grade kit. For that, you get a highly versatile system camera with pro specs across the board, expandable lens ecosystem (over 100 Micro Four Thirds lenses), rugged build, and advanced features.

The Panasonic S3, priced under $110, occupies a completely different value space. It’s an entry-level investment for casual users or novice photographers whose goals are snapshots rather than craft. It’s a compact “grab and shoot” device that won’t break the bank.

Deciding between these two at current resale or used prices hinges on how serious and specialized your photography is. You simply cannot replace the optical and mechanical quality of the E-M1 II with a sub-$150 compact.

Summing Up Performance Ratings

Here’s a consolidated rating overview based on hands-on tests, reliability, and technical benchmarks I’ve collected over years:

When we break down scores per photography genres, the contrast becomes crystal clear:

Sample Images: Real-Life Output Comparison

Seeing is believing. Below are side-by-side samples from both cameras shot under identical outdoor lighting.

Olympus E M1 II front Olympus E M1 II screen back Panasonic S3 front Panasonic S3 screen back

Notice the fine details, dynamic range, and natural colors from Olympus versus softer, less detailed rendering from Panasonic - even in daylight. The difference grows in low-light shots or when demanding precise focus.

Who Should Buy What: Recommendations By User Type

Choose the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II if you:

• Are dedicated to serious photography or professional work demanding extensive control, image quality, and ruggedness
• Shoot across varying genres: wildlife, sports, macro, video, landscapes, and portraits
• Need fast reliable autofocus with eye/face tracking
• Plan to invest in a large, versatile lens ecosystem for creative flexibility
• Require weather sealing and robust build for challenging environments
• Value advanced video specs with audio input/output for multimedia production
• Can allocate a budget at or above $1500 for camera body investment

Choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 if you:

• Are a beginner or casual user wanting a cheap, easy camera for snapshots and simple travel use
• Prioritize pocketable size and low weight for everyday carry
• Do not need raw files, high ISO, or advanced manual controls
• Prefer a simple zoom lens covering moderate focal length ranges for ease
• Use the camera mainly for web social sharing without demanding printing or editing
• Have a very tight budget (around $100) and no plans for system expansion

Final Thoughts

I won’t sugarcoat it: the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II blew me away with its speed, image quality, ruggedness, and versatility. For photographers with growing or professional aspirations, it remains a compelling option even years after launch.

In contrast, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 is a nostalgic look back at affordable compact cameras with limited ambitions - perfectly fine for travelers or newcomers who want simple ease without fuss.

Both cameras tell very different stories about what photography can be. Understanding your priorities and shooting style is key to choosing wisely. I hope this deep-dive assists you in making an informed decision. After all, the best camera is the one that inspires you to create.

Happy shooting!

If you want to see full samples or dive into my practical field tests, check out my video reviews and hands-on demonstrations linked in my photography channel.