Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic G3

Here is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic G3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and G3 (16MP) but they feature the exact same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-PM1 was unveiled 5 months later than the G3 so they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-PM1 grades against the G3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Panasonic G3 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 provides external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic G3 has dimensions of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") with a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic G3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PM1 against the G3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and G3 is 89 and 83 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to imagine the difference between sensor sizing just by looking at specs. The graphic below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and G3.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You should expect to see the Panasonic G3 to give extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively.