Olympus E-M5 III vs Olympus E-P1

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-M5 III versus Olympus E-P1, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and E-P1 (12MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-M5 III was manufactured 10 years later than the E-P1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-M5 III grades versus the E-P1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III & Olympus PEN E-P1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery & Olympus E-P1 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 III offers exterior dimensions of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Olympus E-P1 has measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 III versus Olympus E-P1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-M5 III and the E-P1.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 III and E-P1 is 80 and 86 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The photograph here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 III and E-P1.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You can count on the Olympus E-M5 III to resolve more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 III should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.