Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9
86 Imaging
47 Features
60 Overall
52
85 Imaging
55 Features
78 Overall
64
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
- Introduced August 2011
- Previous Model is Olympus E-P2
- Newer Model is Olympus E-P5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 6400 (Bump to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
- Revealed February 2018
- Succeeded the Olympus E-PL8
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Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras and they are both offered by Olympus. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and E-PL9 (16MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe E-P3 was released 7 years prior to the E-PL9 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-P3 matches up versus the E-PL9 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Olympus PEN E-PL9. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Olympus E-PL9 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Olympus E-PL9
| E-P3 | E-PL9 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Olympus E-P3
| E-PL9 | E-P3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | February 2018 | August 2011 | More modern by 78 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen resolution | 1040k | 614k | Sharper screen (+426k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-PL9
| E-P3 | E-PL9 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More precise focusing | |||
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal screen measurements | |
| Selfie screen | Lack of selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9 Physical Comparison
If you're going to carry around your camera, you should take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P3 has exterior measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL9 has proportions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-P3 vs the E-PL9.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and E-PL9 is 86 and 85 respectively.
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizes simply by going through specs. The picture here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and E-PL9.
All in all, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-PL9 to provide extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-P3 will be behind in sensor tech.
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-PL9 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P3 | Olympus PEN E-PL9 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model | Olympus PEN E-P3 | Olympus PEN E-PL9 |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Introduced | 2011-08-17 | 2018-02-08 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic VI | TruePic VIII |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 6400 |
| Maximum boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Minimum boosted ISO | - | 100 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 35 | 121 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Total lenses | 107 | 107 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 614 thousand dots | 1,040 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Screen tech | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic (optional) |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Highest silent shutter speed | - | 1/16000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames per sec | 8.6 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) | 7.60 m (at ISO 200) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | 1/180 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) | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 3840x2160 |
| Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 369 gr (0.81 pounds) | 380 gr (0.84 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 51 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 20.8 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.1 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 536 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 shots | 350 shots |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLS-5 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Launch price | $0 | $599 |