Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3
89 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49


94 Imaging
33 Features
30 Overall
31
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Revealed November 2011
- Replacement is Olympus E-PM2
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 35-140mm (F3.5-10.0) lens
- 185g - 97 x 59 x 22mm
- Launched January 2009

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Overview
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.

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.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Sony G3
E-PM1 | G3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | November 2011 | ![]() | January 2009 | Newer by 35 months |
Reasons to pick Sony G3 over the Olympus E-PM1
G3 | E-PM1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen dimension | 3.5" | ![]() | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+461k dot) |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony G3
E-PM1 | G3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen |
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Physical Comparison
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.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Sensor Comparison
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.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony G3 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Revealed | 2011-11-23 | 2009-01-08 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VI | - |
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 | 12MP | 10MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 3648 x 2736 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 35-140mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/3.5-10.0 |
Number of lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 3 inch | 3.5 inch |
Resolution of display | 460 thousand dots | 921 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 secs | 1 secs |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/1000 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 6.0 frames per second | 2.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 4.30 m (Auto ISO) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 640x480 |
Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | 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 | 265 grams (0.58 pounds) | 185 grams (0.41 pounds) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 97 x 59 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 52 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.0 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 499 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 photographs | - |
Style of battery | 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 |
Retail price | $499 | $200 |