Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic LX100 II

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic LX100 II, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and LX100 II (17MP) but they come with the exact same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was introduced 8 years prior to the LX100 II and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving through a thorough comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL3 matches up against the LX100 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic LX100 II Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX100 II has specifications of 115mm x 66mm x 64mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.5") and a weight of 392 grams (0.86 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic LX100 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL3 vs the LX100 II.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and LX100 II is 88 and 81 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by checking out specs. The visual below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and LX100 II.

All in all, each of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can expect the Panasonic LX100 II to provide extra detail using its extra 5MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.