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Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3

Portability
88
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49
Olympus PEN E-PL3 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 front
Portability
95
Imaging
37
Features
25
Overall
32

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL3
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
  • Launched September 2011
  • Superseded the Olympus E-PL2
Panasonic FP3
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 35-140mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
  • 155g - 99 x 59 x 19mm
  • Revealed January 2010
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Overview

Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic FP3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the FP3 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and FP3 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 21 months later than the FP3 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FP3 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the FP3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Panasonic FP3

 E-PL3 FP3 
RevealedSeptember 2011January 2010More recent by 21 months
Manual focus Dial precise focus
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution460k230kClearer screen (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic FP3 over the Olympus E-PL3

 FP3 E-PL3 
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic FP3

 E-PL3 FP3 
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen dimensions
Selfie screen No selfie screen

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 provides outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic FP3 has proportions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic FP3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 and the FP3.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and FP3 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Sensor Comparison

Usually, its tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by checking out specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and FP3.

All in all, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FP3 will provide greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL3 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-PL3
Portrait photography with Panasonic FP3
60
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has face detection autofocus
delivers RAW files
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
28
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
no manual focus
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-PL3
Street photography with Panasonic FP3
84
screen tilts
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
60
has image stabilization (Optical)
boasts focus by touch
screen is fixed
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
more heavy than others (155 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 Sports photography information
Panasonic FP3 Sports photography information
45
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
max frames per second low (6.0 frames/s)
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
not so great battery life (300 per charge)
does not have phase detect autofocus
35
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
slow frames per second (5.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 Travel photography factors
Panasonic FP3 Travel photography factors
44
no Timelapse function
not so great battery life (300 per charge)
resolution not great (12MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
60
boasts focus by touch
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
does not have Timelapse recording
more heavy than others (155g)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (35mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 Landscape photography factors
Panasonic FP3 Landscape photography factors
61
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
not so great battery life (300 CIPA)
no Timelapse function
37
nice screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (35mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
manual exposure not possible
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic FP3 as a Vlogging camera
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display isn't selfie friendly
no external microphone support
27
touch screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not the best (35mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have microphone jack
more heavy than others (155g)
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FP3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic FP3
 Olympus PEN E-PL3Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Ultracompact
Launched 2011-09-20 2010-01-06
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Truepic VI Venus Engine IV
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4032 x 3024 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 12800 6400
Lowest native ISO 200 80
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 35 9
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 35-140mm (4.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.5-5.9
Macro focusing distance - 10cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.9
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 460k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 60s
Max shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed 6.0 frames per sec 5.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 4.90 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format AVCHD, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 313 gr (0.69 lb) 155 gr (0.34 lb)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") 99 x 59 x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 52 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 20.9 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.3 not tested
DXO Low light rating 499 not tested
Other
Battery life 300 photographs -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery ID BLS-5 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Price at release $399 $182