Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49
81 Imaging
49 Features
57 Overall
52
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Key Specs
(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
- Released September 2011
- Old Model is Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Push to 3200)
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 385g - 124 x 90 x 45mm
- Revealed July 2009
- New Model is Panasonic GH2
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Overview
The following is a thorough review of the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic GH1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the GH1 (12MP) is relatively close and they enjoy the exact same sensor size (Four Thirds).
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe E-PL3 was revealed 2 years after the GH1 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GH1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving through a full comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PL3 grades vs the GH1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic GH1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Panasonic GH1
E-PL3 | GH1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | September 2011 | July 2009 | Newer by 27 months |
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH1 over the Olympus E-PL3
GH1 | E-PL3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen | |
Selfie screen | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic GH1
E-PL3 | GH1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | Very precise focus | |||
Screen dimension | 3" | 3" | Identical screen size | |
Screen resolution | 460k | 460k | Exact same screen resolution | |
Touch screen | Missing Touch screen |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Physical Comparison
For those who are planning to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic GH1 has measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") and a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic GH1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the GH1.
Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and GH1 is 88 and 81 respectively.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it's hard to envision the difference in sensor dimensions just by looking through specifications. The image underneath might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and GH1.
To sum up, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements and the exact same MP therefore you can expect comparable quality of files although you have to take the age of the cameras into account. The newer E-PL3 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic GH1 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
Released | 2011-09-20 | 2009-07-10 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Truepic VI | Venus Engine HD |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 18.89 x 14.48mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 273.5mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4000 x 3000 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 1600 |
Maximum boosted ISO | - | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 107 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.9 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
Display size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 460k dot | 460k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting speed | 6.0 frames per sec | 3.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 10.50 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/160s | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | AVCHD |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
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 proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 313 grams (0.69 pounds) | 385 grams (0.85 pounds) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 124 x 90 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 1.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 52 | 64 |
DXO Color Depth score | 20.9 | 21.6 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.3 | 11.6 |
DXO Low light score | 499 | 772 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 photos | 320 photos |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-5 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | One | One |
Cost at launch | $399 | $949 |