Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony G3
88 Imaging
51 Features
72 Overall
59
94 Imaging
32 Features
30 Overall
31
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony G3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
- Released September 2012
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 35-140mm (F3.5-10.0) lens
- 185g - 97 x 59 x 22mm
- Released January 2009
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The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony G3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and G3 (10MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and G3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe E-PL5 was unveiled 3 years after the G3 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony G3 being a Compact camera.
Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL5 scores versus the G3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Sony G3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Sony G3
| E-PL5 | G3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2012 | January 2009 | Newer by 45 months | |
| Display type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting display | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony G3 over the Olympus E-PL5
| G3 | E-PL5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size | 3.5" | 3" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 921k | 460k | Crisper display (+461k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony G3
| E-PL5 | G3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very accurate focus | |||
| Touch friendly display | Easily navigate |
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony G3 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 provides exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Sony G3 has proportions of 97mm x 59mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony G3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the E-PL5 versus the G3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and G3 is 88 and 94 respectively.
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony G3 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very hard to picture the difference in sensor dimensions just by checking out a spec sheet. The pic here might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and G3.
Clearly, each of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL5 will show more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-PL5 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony G3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony G3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
| Released | 2012-09-17 | 2009-01-08 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3648 x 2736 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 80 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| 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 | - | 35-140mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/3.5-10.0 |
| Available lenses | 107 | - |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 3.5" |
| Resolution of display | 460k dots | 921k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 1 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/1000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 8.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 4.30 m (Auto ISO) |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
| Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 325 gr (0.72 lbs) | 185 gr (0.41 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 97 x 59 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 72 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 889 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 360 photographs | - |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo, Internal |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Price at release | $400 | $200 |