Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic GX85

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic GX85, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and GX85 (16MP) but they use the exact same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was launched 5 years before the GX85 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-P3 scores against the GX85 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic GX85 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera often, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 comes with physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Panasonic GX85 has specifications of 122mm x 71mm x 44mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic GX85 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-P3 compared to the GX85.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and GX85 is 86 and 83 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by researching technical specs. The picture below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and GX85.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Panasonic GX85 to result in more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-P3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.