Olympus OM-D E-M10 vs Panasonic Lumix GH3: A Deep Dive for Photography Enthusiasts

When it comes to entry-level and advanced mirrorless cameras within the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) ecosystem, both Olympus and Panasonic have played pivotal roles in shaping the market. Today, I’m putting two well-regarded models head to head - the Olympus OM-D E-M10 and the Panasonic Lumix GH3 - to help you decide which might be your next photographic partner. With over 15 years of hands-on camera testing behind me, I’ve used these bodies extensively across multiple shooting disciplines. My goal is to unpack their technical chops, real-world performance, and value propositions honestly and thoroughly, so you walk away with a clear understanding tailored to your shooting style and budget.

Let’s get started by first laying out their physical and ergonomic differences, then drilling into sensor performance, autofocus, handling, lens compatibility, and more. Along the way, I’ll highlight strengths, drawbacks, and ultimately, who each camera serves best.

Size and Ergonomics: Handling Comfort for Long Shoots

If you’re the kind of photographer who likes to hold a camera all day - whether chasing wildlife or exploring streets - ergonomics can make or break your experience.

The Olympus E-M10 is a compact, lightweight entry-level mirrorless, slimming down to just 396 grams with battery. Its dimensions (119x82x46mm) make it pocket-friendly and less intimidating for beginners or travelers prioritizing portability. It effectively bridges the gap between a point-and-shoot and a more serious rig, giving you solid grips in a small footprint.

The Panasonic GH3, by contrast, tips the scales at 550 grams and measures a chunk larger (133x93x82mm). It feels like a proper DSLR alternative and that bulk pays dividends for photographers who crave robust handling and extensive manual controls. You get more clubs for your thumbs, precise dials, and better balance when mounted with heavier lenses - something landscape shooters who lug rugged zooms will appreciate.

Design and Controls: Intuitive Operation vs Advanced Customization

The Olympus E-M10’s control layout follows familiar OM-D style: clean, a bit minimalist, and customizable to an extent, but partly geared towards ease of use. It has a tilting touchscreen LCD but no top display. For beginners or casual enthusiasts, this is intuitive without feeling overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Panasonic’s GH3 is a control freak’s delight. With more dedicated buttons, toggles, and a slightly more complex menu system, GH3 is designed for photographers who want to tweak settings on the fly. GH3’s fully-articulated touchscreen serves well for creative angles and video use, even if the lower resolution screen (614k dots versus Olympus’s 1037k) might feel less crisp.

Sensor and Image Quality: 16MP MFT Sensors in Close Combat

Both cameras feature a Four Thirds-sized 17.3x13mm CMOS sensor, paired to 16 megapixels - a resolution sweet spot for good detail without pushing noise too far in low light. Yet, their imaging processors differ: Olympus employs TruePic VII, while Panasonic uses Venus Engine VII FHD.

Dynamic Range:
DXO Mark tests show near-identical performance here - Olympus scores 12.3 EV, Panasonic edges just slightly higher at 12.4 EV. In practical terms, both will capture landscapes with good highlight and shadow retention, though Panasonic’s incremental advantage may materialize in tricky contrast scenes.

Color Depth:
Very similar too, with Olympus slightly ahead at 22.8 bits vs 22.7 bits, meaning subtle gradations in skin tones and pastel colors are excellent in both. Olympus’s color rendition tends to feel a bit warmer in my experience, great for portraiture.

Noise and High ISO:
Olympus supports up to ISO 25600, but usable quality maxes around ISO 1600-3200 before details muddle, consistent with DXO’s 884 low light ISO score. Panasonic maxes out at ISO 12800, with a slightly inferior 812 low light score. In real-world shooting, GH3’s noise is slightly more pronounced beyond ISO 1600, but manageable with noise reduction.

Overall, while both sensors are close on specs, Olympus’s newer TruePic processor brings slight edge in noise control and color accuracy to the table.

LCD Screen and Viewfinder: Composing Your Shot in Comfort

The Olympus E-M10 has a 3-inch tilting TFT LCD touchscreen with 1037k dots, delivering crisp, vibrant previews and intuitive touch AF for quick focusing. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is decent - 1440k dots, 100% coverage, 0.58x magnification - but can feel a bit small for prolonged eye-level shooting.

The Panasonic GH3, meanwhile, sports a 3-inch fully-articulated OLED touchscreen, albeit with lower resolution at 614k dots. The OLED tech offers deep blacks and punchy contrast, arguably better for video monitoring. Its EVF is superior, featuring 1744k dots and 0.67x magnification, offering a larger, clearer viewpoint for framing and manual focusing.

For studio and nature photographers who spend hours framing perfectly, the GH3’s viewfinder earns clear points. Olympus is a bit more versatile with its touchscreen responsiveness, especially if you like tap-to-focus.

Autofocus System: Hunting the Perfect Moment

Olympus boasts an 81-point contrast-detection AF system incorporating face detection and live view touch focusing. It excels at eye detection, which - when it works well - makes capturing sharp portraits much easier. The system supports continuous AF and tracking but lacks phase detection, making it somewhat slower in fast-motion tracking scenarios.

Panasonic GH3’s autofocus uses 23 contrast-detection points with face detection but no phase detection either. However, it supports continuous AF and is faster, benefitting from the stronger processor and efficient AF algorithms. Continuous burst shooting reaches 20 fps (1/20 of a second per frame) versus Olympus’s max 8 fps, making GH3 more suitable for wildlife and sports where split-second capture is key.

Neither body supports the latest phase-detection CLA autofocus, but GH3’s faster burst and tracking performance comes out ahead if you want zero-lag occasional action shots.

Burst Shooting and Buffer Depth: Action and Wildlife Shooters, Take Note

In terms of continuous shooting, Olympus’s E-M10 caps at a respectable 8 fps, solid for general use, street, and casual sports. The GH3’s blistering 20 fps continuous burst mode represents a serious advantage for rapid photo sequences and wildlife triggers.

Buffer depths differ, with GH3 sustaining more frames before slowing down, thanks to its fast processing and larger internal cache. For professional sports or bird photography, this differentiation can be a game changer where every millisecond counts.

Build Quality and Weather Sealing: Where GH3 Shows Its Muscle

The GH3 features partial weather sealing, making it more resilient against dust and splash - critical for outdoor landscape and wildlife shooters venturing into tougher conditions. Olympus E-M10 lacks environmental sealing, so you must use caution in adverse weather.

GH3’s metal construction and heft further indicate durability and a professional ambition behind the design. The lighter, plastic-heavy E-M10 is better in casual, controlled environments or travel shooting where weight matters most.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility: Miracles in the Micro Four Thirds World

Both cameras share the Micro Four Thirds mount, accessing a mature lens lineup from Olympus, Panasonic, and third parties - 107 lenses strong and counting.

Olympus lenses often emphasize optical stabilization (Dual IS), a boon given the E-M10’s sensor-based image stabilization. Panasonic’s GH3 lacks IBIS (in-body image stabilization), so you’ll depend on stabilized lenses or rigid tripod use, particularly for handheld low-light or macro shooting.

Choosing lenses will depend on your priorities - Olympus favors compact primes and stabilizer-enhanced zooms, perfect for travel and portraits with creamy bokeh. Panasonic’s system includes professional cinema lenses and super telephotos, aligning with its video-friendly and advanced stills strengths.

Battery Life and Storage: Shoot Longer, Worry Less

Battery life is a key consideration, especially for travel and extended field sessions. Here Panasonic’s GH3 delivers a big win, rated at around 540 shots per charge versus the Olympus E-M10’s 320. This translates to less frequent battery swaps or carrying extras - a real convenience on the road.

Both cameras use the common SD/SDHC/SDXC card type and have a single card slot, a standard solution but worth noting for pros who want backup redundancy without juggling multiple cards.

Video Capabilities: Who Wins the Moving Picture Match?

Panasonic GH3 stands out as a hybrid shooter’s workhorse. It supports full HD 1080p video at a variety of frame rates (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), uses advanced codecs like AVCHD and H.264 with efficient compression, and includes both microphone and headphone jacks to monitor sound. The fully articulating OLED screen helps shooting from difficult angles.

Olympus E-M10 shoots full HD 1080p up to 30 fps and has built-in stabilization, but lacks external audio inputs, limiting sound control. Its touchscreen works well for video focus pull, but its codec options are more basic.

For dedicated videographers or hybrid shooters, GH3’s design is far more accommodating.

Practical Field Performance: Real-World Shooting Impressions

Olympus E M10 front Olympus E M10 screen back Panasonic GH3 front Panasonic GH3 screen back

In my real-world tests, both cameras produce detailed, colorful images that please most enthusiasts. Olympus excels in daylight portraiture with vibrant skin tones and reliable eye detection - this is its sweet spot. The in-body stabilization also saves the day for handheld low-light snaps or traveling with non-stabilized lenses.

The GH3’s strengths manifest when shooting fast action or in challenging weather. Its robust build and faster AF tracking deliver crisp wildlife captures, and the extended burst rate is a boon under unpredictable conditions. While its low-light noise is slightly higher, its articulating screen and audio support make video projects smoother.

Scoreboard: Overall and Genre-Specific Performance

Breaking down performance across photography types:

• Portraits: Olympus E-M10 - better skin tones and reliable eye AF
• Landscape: GH3 - durable, better viewfinder, slightly better dynamic range
• Wildlife: GH3 - faster burst, superior AF speed
• Sports: GH3 - continuous shooting wins easily
• Street: Olympus E-M10 - lighter, less conspicuous
• Macro: Olympus E-M10 - built-in IS helps critical focusing
• Night/Astro: Olympus E-M10 - cleaner high ISO noise
• Video: GH3 - superior codecs, inputs, frame rates
• Travel: Olympus E-M10 - lightweight and more compact
• Professional Work: GH3 - rugged build, more advanced controls

Pros and Cons at a Glance

Olympus OM-D E-M10

Pros:

• Lightweight and portable
• Built-in 5-axis image stabilization
• Crisp, bright tilting touchscreen
• Strong portrait and night image quality
• Intuitive controls, beginner-friendly
• Competitive price (~$600)

Cons:

• No weather sealing
• Moderate continuous shooting speed (8 fps)
• Basic video features with no audio inputs
• Smaller EVF

Panasonic Lumix GH3

Pros:

• Robust weather-sealed body
• Outstanding burst mode (20 fps) and AF speed
• Larger, higher-res EVF
• Full HD video up to 60p with mic/headphone jacks
• Strong battery life (540 shots)
• Advanced controls for demanding shooters

Cons:

• Bulkier and heavier (less travel friendly)
• No in-body image stabilization
• Lower LCD resolution
• Higher noise at elevated ISOs
• Higher retail price (~$800)

Who Should Choose Which?

Go for the Olympus E-M10 if:

• You’re a hobbyist or beginner upgrading from entry-level compacts or smartphones
• Portable, lightweight gear is critical (travel, street)
• You want excellent image stabilization for handheld shooting
• Portraits and night scenes are your focus
• You want a straightforward interface without overwhelming menus
• Your budget is tighter and you want solid value

Lean towards the Panasonic GH3 if:

• You’re a hybrid shooter combining stills and serious video needs
• You require faster autofocus and burst rates for sports or wildlife
• You often shoot in tough environments needing weather sealing
• You want more manual control and customizable settings
• Battery longevity is crucial for long field sessions
• You don’t mind extra size and weight for professional-grade features

Final Verdict: Complementary Cameras for Different Needs

These two cameras, while sharing a sensor size and lens mounts, target different photographers through their design philosophies and feature sets.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 remains a superb entry-level mirrorless: easy to master, light to carry, and stabilizer-packed - especially good for portraits, travel, and casual video. It appeals to those wanting immediate quality without fuss and a reasonable price tag.

The Panasonic Lumix GH3, meanwhile, presses forward as a more mature tool for enthusiasts who need speed, durability, and video-friendly specs without moving up to full-frame. Its strengths in continuous shooting, weather resistance, and extended battery life make it the pick for action, wildlife, and hybrid usage.

Neither is perfect, but they shine in their tailored roles. Your choice should hinge on your shooting priorities, environment, and budget. Both models remain capable cameras years after release and hold up well in their respective niches.

Hopefully, this detailed side-by-side helps you feel confident choosing the camera best aligned with your creative goals. Here’s to many rewarding photographic adventures ahead!

If you want even more insights or tips on using either these models to their full potential, just ask. Happy shooting!