Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic LX5

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic LX5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") posses different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was launched 2 months earlier than the LX5 and they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the LX5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 has got physical 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 LX5 has dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic LX5 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the LX5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and LX5 is 88 and 88 respectively.

Typically, its hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by reviewing technical specs. The picture here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and LX5.

As you can tell, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL3 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.