Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL3

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-M1 versus Olympus E-PL3, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and E-PL3 (12MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-M1 was released 2 years later than the E-PL3 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-M1 grades against the E-PL3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus PEN E-PL3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Olympus E-PL3 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 has outside dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL3 has proportions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 versus Olympus E-PL3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 and the E-PL3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and E-PL3 is 71 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing technical specs. The graphic here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and E-PL3.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Olympus E-M1 to produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.