Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus E-PL9

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus E-PL9, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras and both of them are offered by Olympus. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and E-PL9 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 7 years earlier than the E-PL9 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving through a full comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL3 scores versus the E-PL9 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Olympus PEN E-PL9. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Olympus E-PL9 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL9 has specifications of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus E-PL9 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the E-PL9.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and E-PL9 is 88 and 85 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions just by going over technical specs. The picture underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and E-PL9.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-PL9 to deliver extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.