Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3
81 Imaging
52 Features
70 Overall
59
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49
Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
- Revealed April 2012
- Refreshed by Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
- Introduced September 2011
- Superseded the Olympus E-PL2
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3 Overview
Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus E-M5 versus Olympus E-PL3, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both created by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and E-PL3 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor size (Four Thirds).
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-M5 was revealed 8 months after the E-PL3 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-M5 grades vs the E-PL3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Olympus PEN E-PL3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Olympus E-PL3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Olympus E-PL3
| E-M5 | E-PL3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | April 2012 |  | September 2011 | More modern by 8 months |
| Screen resolution | 610k |  | 460k | Crisper screen (+150k dot) |
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Olympus E-M5
| E-PL3 | E-M5 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL3
| E-M5 | E-PL3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | More exact focus | ||
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Tilting | Tilting screen |
| Screen dimensions | 3" |  | 3" | Equal screen size |
| Selfie screen |  | Lacking selfie screen |
Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M5 offers external dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL3 has specifications of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-M5 versus Olympus E-PL3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-M5 and the E-PL3.
Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and E-PL3 is 81 and 88 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes just by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and E-PL3.
As you can see, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus E-M5 to provide you with more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more modern E-M5 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.
Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL3 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Olympus PEN E-PL3 |
| Type | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Revealed | 2012-04-30 | 2011-09-20 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VI | Truepic VI |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 |
| Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 200 |
| RAW support | ||
| Minimum enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 35 | 35 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 107 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Screen resolution | 610 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Screen tech | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic (optional) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 1,440 thousand dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 9.0fps | 6.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | AVCHD, Motion JPEG |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 425g (0.94 lb) | 313g (0.69 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 71 | 52 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | 20.9 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | 10.3 |
| DXO Low light score | 826 | 499 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 360 pictures | 300 pictures |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLN-1 | BLS-5 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Cost at release | $799 | $399 |