Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic LS5

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic LS5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the LS5 (14MP) is very close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and LS5 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL3 was introduced 3 months after the LS5 so they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LS5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL3 scores versus the LS5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic LS5 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 has got 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 LS5 has dimensions of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic LS5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL3 versus the LS5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and LS5 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes just by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and LS5.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic LS5 will result in more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively.