Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic LX3

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic LX3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the LX3 (10MP) is fairly close but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and LX3 (1/1.63") enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was revealed 3 years later than the LX3 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-PM1 scores against the LX3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 has got outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Panasonic LX3 has proportions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic LX3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the LX3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and LX3 is 89 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements just by viewing a spec sheet. The visual here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM1 and LX3.

Clearly, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PM1 will render greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent E-PM1 provides a benefit in sensor innovation.