Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus PEN-F

Here is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus PEN-F, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both are designed by Olympus. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and PEN-F (20MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was unveiled 5 years prior to the PEN-F and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL3 scores versus the PEN-F with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Olympus PEN-F. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Olympus PEN-F Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with exterior measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Olympus PEN-F has dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus PEN-F in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL3 vs the PEN-F.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and PEN-F is 88 and 84 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through technical specs. The graphic below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and PEN-F.

As you have seen, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus PEN-F to provide more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.