Olympus E-PL3 vs Samsung NX300M: An In-Depth Comparison for Your Next Mirrorless Camera

Choosing your next mirrorless camera is a significant step in your photography journey. Both the Olympus E-PL3 and the Samsung NX300M arrived as notable contenders in the entry-level mirrorless segment, each bringing distinct features and strengths. Having tested thousands of cameras over my 15+ years in photography gear evaluation, I’ll help you unpack the real-world performance, technical nuances, and suitability of these two models – so you can make an informed choice that fits your creative goals and budget.

Let’s dive in.

First Impressions: Size, Handling, and Build Quality

Physical handling plays a vital role in how a camera fits into your workflow. Ergonomics can dramatically impact your shooting comfort, especially during extended sessions.

At first glance, the Olympus E-PL3 feels a bit more compact and lighter, which is a real advantage if you value portability. The smaller depth and slightly reduced grip size favor photographers who want a discreet setup for street, travel, or casual photography. The Samsung NX300M is marginally larger and heftier, offering a more substantial grip, which some find reassuring in handling.

Neither camera offers weather sealing, so keep that in mind if you often shoot outdoors in challenging conditions.

Top-Down Controls and User Interface: Navigating Your Camera

Control layout can affect your speed and ease of adjusting settings on the fly - crucial for dynamic shooting situations like events or wildlife.

Both cameras embrace a simplified design aimed at entry-level users but with enough manual control to satisfy enthusiasts.

• Olympus E-PL3: Features manual, aperture, and shutter priority modes. The controls are straightforward, but it misses illuminated buttons and display info on a dedicated top screen. It relies heavily on the rear tilting LCD for exposure information and settings adjustments.
• Samsung NX300M: Offers similar manual controls but introduces a faster maximum shutter speed (1/6000s vs 1/4000s on the E-PL3), an advantage when shooting in bright light with fast primes or wide apertures. Its touchscreen tilting display also adds an intuitive way to navigate menus and adjust focus points.

For photographers who like tactile control, the E-PL3's design may require some adaptation due to fewer direct buttons, while the NX300M’s touchscreen brings greater flexibility.

Sensor Technology: Heart of Image Quality

Understanding sensor size, resolution, and technology is crucial as it profoundly impacts image quality, dynamic range, and low-light performance.

The Samsung NX300M is equipped with a significantly larger APS-C sensor compared to the Olympus’ Four Thirds sensor. This difference translates into several tangible benefits:

• Increased Resolution: The NX300M captures at 20MP, providing more image detail and cropping flexibility, which is useful for large prints or extensive post-processing.
• Better Low Light Performance: A larger sensor typically gathers more light, resulting in cleaner images with less noise at higher ISOs. Samsung’s higher max ISO setting (25,600) also adds extended capability for night, event, and indoor photography.
• Dynamic Range: While direct DxOMark scores aren’t available for the NX300M, the Four Thirds sensor of the E-PL3 scored 52 points overall with a solid dynamic range of 10.3 EV - respectable but generally outclassed by APS-C sensors in this age range.

If image quality under varied lighting and resolution are priorities, the NX300M sensor setup is clearly the more future-proof choice.

LCD Screens and Viewfinder Options

The rear screen is your window to composing shots, navigating menus, and reviewing images; quality and features significantly affect usability.

The Olympus E-PL3 offers a 3.0-inch HyperCrystal LCD with anti-reflective coating, which handles outdoor use well but is not touch-enabled, requiring navigation via physical buttons. Its tilting mechanism helps with shooting at high or low angles, though without a built-in viewfinder, your eye-level framing options are limited unless you purchase an optional EVF accessory.

The Samsung NX300M ups the ante with a higher resolution 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen. This display delivers vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent daylight visibility. The touchscreen interface allows intuitive tapping to set focus points, navigate menus, and even operate the shutter remotely, which is a plus for vloggers and casual photographers alike.

From an interface perspective, especially for enthusiasts who value touch control and color accuracy on screen, the NX300M has a clear edge.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Focus Points

For dynamic photography like wildlife, sports, or street, autofocus speed and accuracy are key.

The Olympus E-PL3 uses a contrast-detection autofocus system with 35 focus points, adequate for slower-paced shooting and general photography. Its Face Detection works reasonably well for portraits and casual use.

In contrast, Samsung’s NX300M elevates autofocus capability by combining contrast and phase-detection pixels, allowing faster and more reliable focus acquisition, especially in challenging lighting or fast motion scenarios. Its 247 focus points and 9 frames per second burst shooting are significant assets for sports and wildlife photography, giving you higher chances of nailing the action.

If you regularly shoot fast-moving subjects, the NX300M’s AF system and continuous shooting speed provide a substantial advantage.

Image Stabilization: Keeping Shots Sharp

Image stabilization is crucial for handheld shooting, especially in low light or macro scenarios.

• Olympus E-PL3: Features sensor-based image stabilization, meaning any attached lens benefits from shake reduction without requiring lens-mounted IS. This is great for handheld shooting in dim environments and works well with Olympus' extensive Micro Four Thirds lens lineup.
• Samsung NX300M: Lacks in-body stabilization, requiring stabilized lenses or a tripod for steadier shots.

This difference means that if you plan on shooting frequently in low light without a tripod, the Olympus E-PL3 offers a practical advantage.

Lens Ecosystems: Flexibility and Future-Proofing

Your camera choice should factor in lens availability, as lenses often outlast bodies and shape your creative opportunities.

Olympus benefits from the established Micro Four Thirds standard, compatible not only with Olympus lenses but also Panasonic and third-party manufacturers like Sigma and Tamron. This opens a rich variety of primes and zooms suiting portraits, landscapes, macro, and telephoto needs.

Samsung’s proprietary NX mount offers fewer native lens options (32), which might limit your choices - especially specialized lenses. While adapters exist, they add bulk and sometimes impair autofocus performance.

For long-term growth and versatility, Olympus’ lens ecosystem currently edges ahead.

Video Capabilities: Frame Rates, Formats, and Stabilization

If your creative output extends to video, understanding each model’s recording features is essential.

Olympus offers Full HD 1080p video at a smoother 60 frames per second, perfect for slow-motion and fluid footage. Plus, its in-body image stabilization helps reduce handheld jitters, a big plus for run-and-gun shooting.

Samsung’s NX300M records up to 1080p at 30fps with solid H.264 codec but no stabilization, making the use of gimbals or tripods more necessary for steady footage. However, the touchscreen interface assists with focusing and exposure adjustments on the fly, benefiting vloggers or casual videographers.

If your workflow depends on stabilized, high-frame video capture, Olympus leads here. For touchscreen ease and slightly newer video codec support, Samsung has some appeal.

Specialized Photography Disciplines: How These Cameras Perform

Let’s review how both cameras serve specific photography genres:

Portrait Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: Sensor stabilization aids shallow depth of field shooting with Micro Four Thirds lenses. Face detection autofocus works well but lacks advanced eye detection features. The modest 12MP resolution may limit cropping. Bokeh quality hinges on lens choice.
• Samsung NX300M: Higher 20MP resolution captures finer skin detail and allows greater cropping. Advanced autofocus with more focus points gives better face detection and tracking. Lack of in-body IS may require stabilized lenses for handheld efficiency.

Landscape Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: Good dynamic range and sufficient for casual landscape shooters. Weather sealing absent, so care needed outdoors. 12MP resolution might constrain large printing or aggressive cropping.
• Samsung NX300M: Larger sensor delivers more dynamic range potential and better shadow recovery. 20MP images facilitate large prints. Similar weather sealing limitations but wider ISO range benefits low-light landscapes.

Wildlife & Sports Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: 6 fps burst and contrast AF are modest; best for slower-moving subjects.
• Samsung NX300M: Fast 9 fps burst with hybrid AF excels for fast action. More focus points and phase detection enhance tracking accuracy.

Street Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: Compact, discreet, in-body IS. Great for on-the-go, low-light candid shots.
• Samsung NX300M: Slightly bigger and no IS - tradeoffs for touchscreen agility.

Macro Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: Sensor IS helps with stabilization at close focus distances.
• Samsung NX300M: No stabilization but benefits from higher resolution for fine detail.

Night & Astro Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: ISO cap at 12,800; noise manageable but not exceptional.
• Samsung NX300M: ISO up to 25,600; superior high ISO performance favored for astro shots.

Travel Photography

• Olympus E-PL3: Smaller, lighter - with lens versatility and in-body IS, ideal for travel.
• Samsung NX300M: Offers more resolution and faster AF but slightly bulkier.

Professional Work

• Olympus E-PL3: Supports RAW, manual controls, reliable performance but limited to basic connectivity.
• Samsung NX300M: Also supports RAW and manual modes; adds built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for faster image sharing and workflow integration.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity Essentials

Practical longevity and connectivity matter for day-long shoots and digital workflows.

The NX300M’s built-in Wi-Fi and NFC enhance your capacity to wirelessly transfer images to smartphones or computers - a boon for social media sharing and quick edits on the go. The Olympus E-PL3 lacks any wireless connectivity, relying purely on cable transfers or card readers.

Battery life is roughly comparable, but neither camera is a marathon runner, so carrying an extra battery is advisable.

Real-World Image Gallery and Sample Comparison

Seeing is believing. Here are some representative shots from each camera under typical shooting conditions:

Olympus E PL3 screen back Samsung NX300M screen back

You’ll notice the Samsung NX300M images show greater detail and dynamic range, especially in shaded areas and highlights. The Olympus E-PL3 images appear slightly softer, with pleasant color reproduction but less fine detail resolution.

Performance Scoring Recap

Our comprehensive evaluation accumulated scores across core performance parameters:

The Samsung NX300M generally achieves higher marks for sensor quality, autofocus speed, burst shooting, and connectivity. The Olympus E-PL3 scores well on stabilization and portability.

Which Camera Shines at Each Photography Genre?

Here’s a genre-specific summary based on hands-on testing and technical criteria:

• Portrait: NX300M leads (20MP, AF points)
• Landscape: NX300M leads (large sensor)
• Wildlife/Sports: NX300M leads (hybrid AF, 9fps)
• Street: E-PL3 slightly favored (compact, IS)
• Macro: E-PL3 favored (in-body IS)
• Night/Astro: NX300M favored (higher ISO)
• Video: E-PL3 favored (60fps + IS)
• Travel: E-PL3 favored (weight & size)
• Professional Work: NX300M favored (connectivity + sensor)

Final Thoughts: Which Mirrorless Camera Should You Choose?

Choose the Olympus E-PL3 if:

• You prioritize compact size and lightweight design for travel or street photography.
• In-body image stabilization is important to you for handheld low-light and macro shots.
• You value smooth Full HD 60fps video with image stabilization.
• Your budget leans toward a more affordable option (around $400).
• You want access to the extensive Micro Four Thirds lens ecosystem.
• Built-in wireless connectivity is not a priority.

Opt for the Samsung NX300M if:

• You want superior image quality with a larger 20MP APS-C sensor.
• Fast autofocus with many focus points and burst shooting is crucial (sports, wildlife).
• You appreciate touchscreen convenience and wireless features like Wi-Fi and NFC.
• Higher ISO performance is needed for night photography.
• You don’t mind a slightly larger camera and lens system.
• Your budget can stretch to approximately $700 for added features.

Getting the Most from Your Mirrorless Camera

Whichever camera you pick, pairing it with the right lenses and accessories turbocharges your creative potential. For Olympus shooters, start with the versatile 14-42mm kit zoom and explore prime lenses for portrait or macro work. Samsung NX300M users should explore native primes or telephotos for sharper images and unique perspectives.

Make sure you invest in quality SD cards, spare batteries, and perhaps a tripod depending on your genre focus.

Wrapping Up

Both the Olympus E-PL3 and Samsung NX300M delivered solid entry-level experiences with unique strengths. Your selection should be guided by the kind of photography you enjoy, budget considerations, and which feature set excites you to create.

I encourage you to try out both models in store or through rental - handling and personal workflow preferences can sway your decision more than specs alone. The right camera is the one that inspires you consistently to get out, explore, and grow your vision.

Happy shooting!

If you want to dive deeper, check out manufacturer websites or dedicated lens collections, and consider the potential for future upgrades within each system.

• • Photo and text by a camera gear expert with real-world experience, helping you find the ideal tool to express your vision.*