Olympus E-P3 vs Samsung NX500

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-P3 and Samsung NX500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and NX500 (28MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and NX500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-P3 was introduced 4 years prior to the NX500 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-P3 scores against the NX500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Samsung NX500. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Samsung NX500 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 comes with exterior measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Samsung NX500 has dimensions of 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P3 and Samsung NX500 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P3 and the NX500.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and NX500 is 86 and 87 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements just by checking specs. The graphic here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and NX500.

All in all, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Samsung NX500 will give more detail using its extra 16MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics much more aggressively. The older E-P3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.