Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic G85

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic G85, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and G85 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor size (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was brought out 6 years prior to the G85 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic G85 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-PL3 grades vs the G85 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic G85 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 has got outside 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) and the Panasonic G85 has specifications of 128mm x 89mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 2.9") and a weight of 505 grams (1.11 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic G85 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 against the G85.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and G85 is 88 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The visual here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and G85.

As you have seen, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You can expect the Panasonic G85 to deliver greater detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The older E-PL3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.