Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49


93 Imaging
35 Features
24 Overall
30
Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 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
- Older Model is Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
- 153g - 101 x 65 x 28mm
- Released January 2010

Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 Overview
Here is a complete review of the Olympus E-PL3 versus Pentax I-10, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the I-10 (12MP) is very close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and I-10 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor size.

The E-PL3 was released 21 months later than the I-10 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax I-10 being a Compact camera.
Before we go in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-PL3 matches up against the I-10 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Pentax Optio I-10. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Pentax I-10 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Pentax I-10
E-PL3 | I-10 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | September 2011 | ![]() | January 2010 | Fresher by 21 months |
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Pentax I-10 over the Olympus E-PL3
I-10 | E-PL3 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax I-10
E-PL3 | I-10 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More accurate focusing | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Neither features Touch display |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to carry your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys outer 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) whilst the Pentax I-10 has sizing of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).
See the Olympus E-PL3 versus Pentax I-10 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the I-10.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and I-10 is 88 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it can be tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizing simply by researching specifications. The photograph below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and I-10.
To sum up, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact MP but different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 uses the larger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow depth of field less difficult. The newer E-PL3 should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax I-10 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Pentax Optio I-10 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Pentax Optio I-10 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Released | 2011-09-20 | 2010-01-25 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Truepic VI | Prime |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4000 x 3000 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/3.5-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 10cm |
Total lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of display | 460k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 4 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 6.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 4.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/160 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 313 grams (0.69 pounds) | 153 grams (0.34 pounds) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 101 x 65 x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") |
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 photographs | - |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC, Internal |
Storage slots | One | One |
Retail cost | $399 | $310 |