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Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III

Portability
85
Imaging
56
Features
78
Overall
64
Olympus PEN E-PL9 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III front
Portability
89
Imaging
51
Features
77
Overall
61

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Key Specs

Olympus E-PL9
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 6400 (Boost to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
  • Introduced February 2018
  • Older Model is Olympus E-PL8
Sony RX100 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 290g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Revealed May 2014
  • Superseded the Sony RX100 II
  • Replacement is Sony RX100 IV
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Overview

Following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony RX100 III, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the RX100 III (20MP) is very well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and RX100 III (1") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was announced 3 years after the RX100 III which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL9 scores vs the RX100 III when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Sony RX100 III

 E-PL9 RX100 III 
RevealedFebruary 2018May 2014More modern by 46 months
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 III over the Olympus E-PL9

 RX100 III E-PL9 
Display resolution1229k1040kCrisper display (+189k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony RX100 III

 E-PL9 RX100 III 
Manual focus Very accurate focus
Display typeTiltingTiltingTilting display
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display sizing

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL9 provides outer dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Sony RX100 III has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") having a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony RX100 III in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL9 and the RX100 III.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and RX100 III is 85 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be tough to see the difference between sensor sizes just by checking a spec sheet. The pic underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and RX100 III.

Clearly, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 using its larger sensor will make getting bokeh easier and the Sony RX100 III will give more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-PL9
Portrait photography with Sony RX100 III
73
focusing manually
MP count good (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detect focus
saves RAW formats
64
you can focus manually
above average flash sync speed (1/2,000s)
good resolution (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
features face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
cannot use external flash
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 as a Street photography camera
Sony RX100 III as a Street photography camera
84
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
supports touch focus
85
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor size is nice (1")
delivers RAW formats
lighter than competitors in class (290g)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Sports photography highlights
Sony RX100 III Sports photography highlights
69
quiet mode (1/16,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
65
image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (1")
features tracking autofocus
no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PL9
Travel photography with Sony RX100 III
77
has bluetooth
supports touch focus
MP count good (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
display is not selfie friendly
85
lighter than competitors in class (290g)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
has built in flash
selfie friendly display
relatively wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Landscape photography info
Sony RX100 III Landscape photography info
80
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count good (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
73
you can focus manually
relatively wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
screen is a good size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (20MP)
sensor size is nice (1")
delivers RAW formats
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Vlogging features
Sony RX100 III Vlogging features
35
has touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focus
video res high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have microphone socket
80
relatively wide (24mm)
very good max aperture (f1.8)
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focus
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competitors in class (290 grams)
doesn't have external microphone port
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony RX100 III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL9 and Sony RX100 III
 Olympus PEN E-PL9Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL9 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Introduced 2018-02-08 2014-05-15
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VIII Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Max native ISO 6400 12800
Max enhanced ISO 25600 -
Min native ISO 200 125
RAW photos
Min enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 121 25
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-70mm (2.9x)
Max aperture - f/1.8-2.8
Macro focusing range - 5cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 2.7
Screen
Range of display Tilting Tilting
Display sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 1,040 thousand dot 1,229 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.59x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/2000 secs
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shutter speed 8.6 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 7.60 m (at ISO 200) -
Flash modes Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off -
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/2000 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 3840x2160 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 380 gr (0.84 pounds) 290 gr (0.64 pounds)
Physical dimensions 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 67
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 495
Other
Battery life 350 shots 320 shots
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, self-portrait, continuous)
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at release $599 $748