Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49
96 Imaging
37 Features
24 Overall
31
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
- Released September 2011
- Superseded the Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-112mm (F3.1-5.6) lens
- 117g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
- Released January 2011
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Overview
Here is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the S3 (14MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and S3 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe E-PL3 was unveiled 9 months later than the S3 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera.
Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-PL3 grades against the S3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic S3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Panasonic S3
E-PL3 | S3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | September 2011 | January 2011 | Fresher by 9 months | |
Focus manually | More accurate focus | |||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
Screen dimension | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Crisper screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic S3 over the Olympus E-PL3
S3 | E-PL3 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic S3
E-PL3 | S3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | Lacking selfie screen | |||
Touch screen | Neither provides Touch screen |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Physical Comparison
If you're going to carry your camera, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 provides exterior measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S3 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL3 vs the S3.
Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and S3 is 88 and 96 respectively.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading technical specs. The photograph here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and S3.
As you can tell, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 using its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic S3 will offer greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic S3 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Released | 2011-09-20 | 2011-01-05 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Truepic VI | Venus Engine IV |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4320 x 3240 |
Highest native ISO | 12800 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/3.1-5.6 |
Macro focusing range | - | 5cm |
Total lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
Resolution of screen | 460k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 8s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shooting rate | 6.0 frames per sec | 2.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 3.30 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/160s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 313g (0.69 lbs) | 117g (0.26 lbs) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 52 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 20.9 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 499 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 shots | 250 shots |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch pricing | $399 | $110 |