Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S1H

The following is a extended review of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic S1H, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and S1H (24MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and S1H (Full frame) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was revealed 9 years prior to the S1H which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1H being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-PL3 grades vs the S1H when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic S1H Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 features external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S1H has proportions of 151mm x 114mm x 110mm (5.9" x 4.5" x 4.3") having a weight of 1052 grams (2.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic S1H in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 versus the S1H.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and S1H is 88 and 52 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions only by looking at specifications. The image underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and S1H.

To sum up, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic S1H will resolve more detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.