Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic F5

In this article, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic F5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the F5 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and F5 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was brought out 15 months earlier than the F5 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic F5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the F5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic F5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 offers outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic F5 has dimensions of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic F5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 and the F5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and F5 is 88 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through technical specs. The photograph here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and F5.

As you have seen, both of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic F5 will produce more detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.