Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3

The following is a detailed comparison of the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the G3 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and G3 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM1 was manufactured 2 years after the G3 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony G3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-PM1 scores vs the G3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony G3 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM1 provides exterior 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 Sony G3 has specifications of 97mm x 59mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PM1 and the G3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and G3 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Often, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by checking out a spec sheet. The picture underneath may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and G3.

As you can see, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PM1 will show more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PM1 provides a benefit in sensor tech.