Olympus E-M5 III vs Olympus E-PM1

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-M5 III and Olympus E-PM1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are designed by Olympus. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and E-PM1 (12MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-M5 III was unveiled 8 years later than the E-PM1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-M5 III matches up against the E-PM1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III and Olympus PEN E-PM1. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery and Olympus E-PM1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 III comes with outside dimensions of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") along with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PM1 has specifications of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M5 III and Olympus E-PM1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 III versus the E-PM1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 III and E-PM1 is 80 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing only by reading specs. The visual here may provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 III and E-PM1.

All in all, each of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Olympus E-M5 III to offer greater detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 III is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.