Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3
81 Imaging
52 Features
70 Overall
59
96 Imaging
37 Features
24 Overall
31
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
- Launched April 2012
- Updated by Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-112mm (F3.1-5.6) lens
- 117g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
- Released January 2011
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Overview
In this write-up, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic S3, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the S3 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and S3 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe E-M5 was launched 17 months later than the S3 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera.
Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-M5 grades against the S3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Panasonic S3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Panasonic S3
E-M5 | S3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | April 2012 | January 2011 | More recent by 17 months | |
Manual focus | More precise focusing | |||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
Screen resolution | 610k | 230k | Crisper screen (+380k dot) | |
Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic S3 over the Olympus E-M5
S3 | E-M5 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic S3
E-M5 | S3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | Missing selfie screen |
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to lug around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 comes with exterior dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic S3 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic S3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 compared to the S3.
Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and S3 is 81 and 96 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements simply by reviewing specifications. The photograph underneath may offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and S3.
To sum up, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic S3 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 |
Category | Advanced Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Launched | 2012-04-30 | 2011-01-05 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VI | Venus Engine IV |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4320 x 3240 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Lowest boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
Max aperture | - | f/3.1-5.6 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
Number of lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Display resolution | 610 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440 thousand dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 8 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 9.0 frames per sec | 2.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 3.30 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/250 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 425 gr (0.94 lb) | 117 gr (0.26 lb) |
Dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 71 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 826 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 images | 250 images |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Price at launch | $799 | $110 |