Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S1

The following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic S1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and S1 (24MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and S1 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 8 years earlier than the S1 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the S1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic S1 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 has got outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic S1 has dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") along with a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic S1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the S1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and S1 is 88 and 54 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions only by reading a spec sheet. The pic here should offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and S1.

As you can see, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic S1 will offer greater detail having an extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.