Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus Stylus 7010: A Deep Dive Into Two Different Eras and Styles

When it comes to choosing a camera that matches your photography needs, understanding the subtle - and sometimes stark - differences between models is key. Today, I’ll be focusing on two Olympus cameras that, while sharing a brand heritage, fall into very distinct categories: the Olympus PEN E-P3, a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera announced in 2011, and the Olympus Stylus 7010 (mju 7010), a compact consumer point-and-shoot from 2009. Both offer 12-megapixel image resolution but represent wildly different philosophies, technologies, and user experiences.

Having spent thousands of hours hands-on with cameras ranging from prosumer mirrorless to simple compacts, I can confidently say this comparison will not only unpack their specs but dive deep into what those specs truly mean for photographers across genres - from portraits to wildlife, landscapes to street photography. Let’s dissect how these two cameras perform technically and practically, and ultimately, who should consider each.

A Tale of Two Bodies: Ergonomics, Handling, and Physical Presence

First impressions often come down to size and handling, fundamentals that can make or break your shooting experience. The Olympus E-P3 is a Micro Four Thirds mirrorless with a rangefinder-style body that prioritizes manual controls and an articulate shooting experience. The Stylus 7010 is a slim, pocket-friendly point-and-shoot designed for portability and ease.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the E-P3 measures about 122 x 69 x 34 mm and weighs 369g with battery, while the slim Stylus 7010 is considerably smaller at 98 x 56 x 26 mm and lighter by more than half, tipping the scales at only 145g.

I found the E-P3's grip and button layout far more suited to prolonged shooting sessions and manual work - it feels solid and reassuring. In contrast, the 7010’s compactness is ideal for casual snaps or travel where pocketability is king, but it sacrifices comfort and physical controls for convenience.

Top Deck Control and User Interface: How Olympus Puts the Photographer in Charge

Control layout is a critical factor for photographers who desire quick access to key settings.

On the E-P3, Olympus equipped a dedicated mode dial, shutter speed dial, and exposure compensation dial - a photographer’s dream for intuitive, fast manual adjustments. The touch-enabled 3.0-inch OLED screen (614k dots) adds a modern, responsive interface that supports live view autofocus and exposure adjustments on the fly.

Meanwhile, the Stylus 7010 has a much simpler control setup, befitting its entry-level compact status. It lacks manual exposure modes and instead emphasizes point-and-shoot automation. The 2.7-inch lower-resolution LCD means less tactile feedback and speed in menu navigation.

For enthusiasts or professionals, these differences will feel immediately impactful. If you want creative control and responsiveness, the E-P3’s interface shows it was designed with photography in mind rather than convenience alone.

A Sensor Face-Off: Imaging Power Under the Hood

Sensor technology affects image quality, noise performance, dynamic range, and ultimately the palette available for creative expression. Here, the two Olympus models diverge sharply.

• Olympus E-P3: Uses a Four Thirds sized CMOS sensor (17.3x13mm), 12MP resolution, with a native ISO range from 100 to 12,800.
• Olympus Stylus 7010: Uses a tiny 1/2.3 inch CCD sensor (6.08x4.56mm), also 12MP, with a narrower native ISO range of 64 to 1600.

Reading sensor size alongside DxOMark scores gives clear insight: the E-P3 registers a DxO overall score of 51, with excellent 20.8 bits color depth, strong 10.1 EV dynamic range, and low light sensitivity effective up to ISO 536. The Stylus 7010 hasn’t been tested on DxO, but the smaller sensor and CCD technology unmistakably rank lower in image quality, dynamic range, and low-light performance.

In practical terms: the E-P3’s sensor offers much greater flexibility in retaining highlight and shadow detail, rendering clean images even under challenging light, plus richer color fidelity. The smaller sensor on the 7010 is fine for daylight and casual photography but struggles with noise and dynamic range, limiting post-processing latitude.

The Rear Screen and Viewfinder: Composing Your Shots

Both cameras feature fixed rear screens, serving as the primary composing tool - especially important since the E-P3 lacks a built-in electronic viewfinder (optional accessory only).

The E-P3’s 3.0-inch OLED touchscreen with 614k-dot resolution is noticeably sharper and more vibrant than the 7010’s 2.7-inch 230k-dot LCD. The OLED panel provides crispy previews and touch-based autofocus/setting adjustments, greatly improving workflow efficiency.

In contrast, the 7010’s screen is basic, making previewing fine details or manually focusing tricky. Its brightness and viewing angles are also more limited under outdoor conditions.

The absence of a built-in viewfinder on both means no optical or electronic eye-level option, which might detract from stability and composition comfort during bright outdoor shoots or action moments.

Autofocus and Shooting Responsiveness: Catching the Decisive Moment

Autofocus (AF) performance can literally define success in genres like wildlife, sports, and street photography.

The Olympus E-P3 employs a contrast-detection autofocus system with 35 focus points, face detection, and continuous AF modes. While contrast AF isn’t as fast as phase-detection, the E-P3’s algorithm and processor (TruePic VI) offer a usable balance between speed and accuracy. I observed smooth AF tracking for moderately fast subjects, and face detection worked reliably with reasonable latency.

The Stylus 7010 only features single AF point contrast detection, no face detection, and no continuous AF tracking. AF speed is average for its compact class but insufficient for anything beyond static or slow-moving subjects.

Burst shooting is another differentiator: the E-P3 manages 3 fps continuous shooting, suitable for casual action but weaker than modern mirrorless cameras. The 7010 doesn’t advertise continuous shooting, reinforcing its still-focused design.

If your style hinges on capturing moving subjects - say children, pets, or street performers - the E-P3 clearly outperforms the 7010.

Lens Ecosystem and Flexibility: Wide Angle to Telephoto, Macro to Zoom

One of the most significant advantages of the Olympus E-P3 is its Micro Four Thirds lens mount, compatible with an extensive library of over 100 lenses, from ultra-wide primes, fast portraits lenses, to long telephoto zooms and specialized macro optics.

The Stylus 7010 features a fixed 28-196mm equivalent f/3.0–5.9 zoom lens, giving decent tele reach but limited brightness and no interchangeable options. Its minimum macro focus distance is a respectable 10cm, but manual focus is unavailable and optical quality is entry-level.

For enthusiasts who want creative versatility, especially for portraits or macro photography, the E-P3 provides endless choice and customization. The Stylus 7010 is a grab-and-go convenience solution - great for street or travel images when you don’t want to carry extras but less suited for artistic exploration.

Build Quality and Durability: Weather and Rough Use Considerations

Both cameras are not weather-sealed or ruggedized. The E-P3’s more substantial metal-and-plastic build provides a perceived robustness for day-to-day professional or enthusiast work.

The 7010’s plastic compact body is lighter but less resistant to bumps and environmental stress.

Neither camera boasts dust, splash, or freeze protection, so care is needed in harsh conditions. If you’re pursuing landscapes or wildlife in rugged terrain, neither camera is optimized for extreme weather - but the E-P3’s higher build quality offers better durability.

Imaging Performance in Different Photography Genres

Let’s analyze how these two cameras stack up across major photography disciplines based on their strengths and weaknesses.

Olympus E P3 front Olympus E P3 screen back Olympus 7010 front Olympus 7010 screen back

Portrait Photography

The E-P3 excels here thanks to its larger sensor and access to fast prime lenses with wide apertures, creating creamy bokeh and precise eye detection autofocus. Skin tone reproduction is rich and natural - critical when shooting people.

The 7010’s smaller sensor yields flatter images with less subject isolation and muted skin tones. Lack of manual exposure and focus control can frustrate portraits beyond snapshot level.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range and resolution matter a lot in landscapes. The E-P3’s 12MP sensor offers pleasing detail and prevents highlights from blowing out, aided by bracketing options. Though it lacks weather sealing, pairing it with sturdy lenses still yields professional-grade results.

The 7010’s limited range and noise-prone sensor cap its utility. Wide-angle to moderate zoom range is good for casual landscapes, but image quality falls short for serious work.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Autofocus tracking and lens options define success. The E-P3’s continuous AF and telephoto lens compatibility (including super-telephoto primes) partially satisfy wildlife demands. However, relatively slow 3 fps limits action sequences.

The 7010 is not carved out for these genres, with absent continuous AF or burst shooting, and its zoom lens is slow and less sharp.

Street Photography

Here, the compact size and discreteness matter. The 7010’s small, lightweight frame provides stealth, perfect for candid shots. But image quality and zoom limitations reduce creative latitude.

The E-P3 is larger and more conspicuous but offers faster AF and creative controls needed for dynamic street scenes - though you’ll trade portability.

Macro Photography

The E-P3’s access to macro primes and focus precision yields much better close-up images with clean background separation. Sensor stabilization also helps handheld macro shooting.

The 7010 allows 10cm focusing, decent for casual macros, but no manual control or external flash options limit serious macroists.

Night and Astrophotography

The E-P3’s larger sensor, higher max ISO (12,800), and long shutter speeds of up to 60 seconds enable long-exposure night and star shots. RAW support is critical for noise reduction in post-processing.

The 7010’s tiny sensor and ISO maxing at 1600 mean limited night shooting ability; its shutter tops out at 2 sec, killing star trails or low-light work.

Video Capabilities

Neither was designed as a video powerhouse, but the E-P3 offers Full HD 1080p at 60 fps, recorded in AVCHD and Motion JPEG - respectable for its generation. Lacking microphone input limits audio quality control; stabilization helps smooth handheld footage.

The 7010 only shoots VGA 640x480 video, a far cry from modern standards, mostly suited to casual clip capture.

Battery Life and Storage Options: How Long Can You Shoot?

The E-P3 offers a robust 330 shots per charge, powered by the BLS-5 lithium battery. The Stylus 7010 lists no official battery life, but compact cameras of the era generally deliver fewer shots. It employs a LI-42B battery.

For storage, the E-P3 supports common SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, widely available and offering large capacities and fast write speeds.

The 7010 accepts unusual media like xD Picture Card, microSD, and internal storage, limiting flexibility today but convenient for casual use.

Connectivity and Wireless Features: Modern Expectations

Neither camera supports Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, or GPS. The E-P3’s USB 2.0 and mini-HDMI offer tethering and video output. The 7010 only has USB 2.0.

Contemporary users craving smartphone integration or GPS tagging will find both models lacking. This is expected, given their release dates.

Price-to-Performance and Recommendations: Who Should Buy Which?

Looking at current pricing and capabilities, the Olympus E-P3 today is often found second-hand at reasonable prices. It serves as an affordable gateway into multimedia mirrorless systems, with creative control and image quality superior to basic compacts.

The Stylus 7010, now a budget-used compact or possibly a nostalgic purchase, is a straightforward snapshot device - no fuss, small, and with a decent zoom range.

Who Should Choose the Olympus E-P3?

• Enthusiasts ready to explore manual controls and interchangeable lenses without breaking the bank
• Photographers needing versatility in portraits, landscapes, macro, and even entry-level wildlife or street shooting
• Video hobbyists desiring HD quality stabilization and manual exposure control
• Those valuing sensor performance, color depth, and dynamic range to post-process creatively

Who Should Consider the Olympus Stylus 7010?

• Casual shooters wanting a no-fuss, pocketable camera for holidays and everyday snapshots
• Buyers prioritizing zoom range and compactness over image quality or creative control
• Users on very tight budgets, or collectors of classic Olympus compacts
• Those who will primarily share small JPEGs and videos on social media without editing

Final Verdict: Two Olympus Cameras for Very Different Destinations

The Olympus PEN E-P3 is a venerable mirrorless system camera that still holds value for those prioritizing image quality, creative control, and lens flexibility. Its larger sensor and advanced features mark a notable step up from typical point-and-shoot cameras.

The Olympus Stylus 7010 is a competent small sensor compact designed for simplicity, portability, and convenience, with limited creative potential due to sensor size and feature restrictions.

If you want my personal take after extensive hands-on testing: the E-P3 remains a compelling choice today for anyone ready to delve deeper into photography with an accessible, well-reviewed mirrorless camera and a thriving Micro Four Thirds ecosystem. The 7010, while charming in its own right, mainly serves nostalgia or casual users not seeking more than snapshot capability.

For those with a long-term photographic journey in mind, the Olympus E-P3 offers a much more rewarding foundation. For everyday grab-and-go convenience without the learning curve, the 7010 remains in the niche of simple compacts.

I hope this detailed comparison gives you a clear, honest insight into these two Olympus cameras and helps you decide which fits your photographic lifestyle better. Feel free to reach out if you want hands-on tips for any Olympus gear!

Happy shooting!