Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic L10

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic L10, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the L10 (10MP) is very well matched and they possess the same exact sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 3 years later than the L10 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic L10 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-PL3 scores against the L10 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic L10 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 provides 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 L10 has specifications of 135mm x 96mm x 78mm (5.3" x 3.8" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 556 grams (1.23 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic L10 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL3 vs the L10.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and L10 is 88 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to see the contrast between sensor sizing only by reading through technical specs. The graphic below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and L10.

As you can tell, both of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Olympus E-PL3 to resolve extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The fresher E-PL3 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.