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Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III

Portability
86
Imaging
48
Features
43
Overall
46
Olympus PEN E-PL1s front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
77
Overall
61

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Key Specs

Olympus E-PL1s
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
  • Released November 2010
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-PL1
  • Successor is Olympus E-PL2
Sony RX100 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 290g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Announced May 2014
  • Succeeded the Sony RX100 II
  • Later Model is Sony RX100 IV
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Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Overview

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony RX100 III, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and RX100 III (20MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and RX100 III (1") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was revealed 4 years prior to the RX100 III which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL1s grades versus the RX100 III with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1s over the Sony RX100 III

 E-PL1s RX100 III 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 III over the Olympus E-PL1s

 RX100 III E-PL1s 
AnnouncedMay 2014November 2010Newer by 42 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1229k230kSharper screen (+999k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony RX100 III

 E-PL1s RX100 III 
Manual focus More exact focus
Touch friendly screen No Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Physical Comparison

When you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s features outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony RX100 III has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony RX100 III in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1s versus the RX100 III.

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and RX100 III is 86 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Sensor Comparison

Often, it is hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reading specs. The picture underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and RX100 III.

All in all, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s having a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Sony RX100 III will offer you greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s as a Portrait photography camera
Sony RX100 III as a Portrait photography camera
60
manual focus
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes face detection focusing
supports RAW files
MP count low (12MP)
64
you can focus manually
flash sync speed is above average (1/2,000s)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
offers face detect autofocus
exports RAW formats
external flash not possible
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s Street photography details
Sony RX100 III Street photography details
74
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
no articulating screen
85
screen tilts up and down
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
lighter than average (290 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s Sports photography factors
Sony RX100 III Sports photography factors
45
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes tracking autofocus
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 fps)
MP count low (12MP)
terrible battery pack (290 CIPA)
no phase detect AF
65
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
decent sensor size (1")
offers tracking focus
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s Travel photography highlights
Sony RX100 III Travel photography highlights
52
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse recording
terrible battery pack (290 CIPA)
MP count low (12MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
85
lighter than average (290g)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
pretty wide (24mm)
good max aperture (f1.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s Landscape photography details
Sony RX100 III Landscape photography details
55
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
terrible battery pack (290 shots)
lack of Timelapse recording
73
you can focus manually
pretty wide (24mm)
good max aperture (f1.8)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (1")
exports RAW formats
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX100 III as a Vlogging camera
30
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detection focusing
screen isn't selfie friendly
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
lack of external microphone socket
80
pretty wide (24mm)
good max aperture (f1.8)
display is selfie friendly
has image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detect autofocus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average (290g)
lack of mic jack
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Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony RX100 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL1s and Sony RX100 III
 Olympus PEN E-PL1sSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL1s Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Released 2010-11-16 2014-05-15
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Truepic V Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4032 x 3024 5472 x 3648
Highest native ISO 6400 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 125
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 11 25
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-70mm (2.9x)
Highest aperture - f/1.8-2.8
Macro focusing distance - 5cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 2.7
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.7" 3"
Screen resolution 230 thousand dot 1,229 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.59x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 10.00 m -
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) -
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/160 secs 1/2000 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Mic input
Headphone input
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 seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 334g (0.74 lbs) 290g (0.64 lbs)
Physical dimensions 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 67
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 495
Other
Battery life 290 photos 320 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-1 NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, self-portrait, continuous)
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/SDHC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Pricing at launch $599 $748