Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GH3
84 Imaging
58 Features
79 Overall
66
66 Imaging
51 Features
80 Overall
62
Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GH3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 427g - 125 x 72 x 37mm
- Launched January 2016
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 550g - 133 x 93 x 82mm
- Revealed September 2012
- Previous Model is Panasonic GH2
- Later Model is Panasonic GH4
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Lets look much closer at the Olympus PEN-F versus Panasonic GH3, both Advanced Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and GH3 (16MP) but both cameras have the same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe PEN-F was launched 3 years after the GH3 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short view of how the PEN-F matches up versus the GH3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN-F & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Panasonic GH3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus PEN-F over the Panasonic GH3
| PEN-F | GH3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | January 2016 | September 2012 | Newer by 41 months | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 614k | Clearer display (+423k dot) |
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH3 over the Olympus PEN-F
| GH3 | PEN-F |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic GH3
| PEN-F | GH3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | More accurate focusing | |||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated display | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal display measurements | |
| Selfie screen | Both are selfie friendly | |||
| Touch friendly display | Easily navigate |
Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GH3 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to travel with your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus PEN-F comes with physical dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") with a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic GH3 has measurements of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus PEN-F versus Panasonic GH3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the PEN-F against the GH3.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and GH3 is 84 and 66 respectively.
Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GH3 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over specs. The picture underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the PEN-F and GH3.
All in all, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Olympus PEN-F to deliver more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer PEN-F is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GH3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic GH3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN-F | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model type | Olympus PEN-F | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 |
| Category | Advanced Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
| Launched | 2016-01-27 | 2012-09-17 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VII | Venus Engine VII FHD |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
| Min native ISO | 200 | 200 |
| RAW format | ||
| Min boosted ISO | 80 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 81 | 23 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 107 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fully Articulated | Fully Articulated |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1,037k dot | 614k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Screen technology | - | OLED Monitor with static touch control |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | 1,744k dot |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.62x | 0.67x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Highest silent shutter speed | 1/16000 secs | - |
| Continuous shooting speed | 10.0fps | 20.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| Flash options | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25 24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25fps |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic 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 | 427 grams (0.94 lbs) | 550 grams (1.21 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 125 x 72 x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") | 133 x 93 x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 74 | 71 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 23.1 | 22.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.4 | 12.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | 894 | 812 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 pictures | 540 pictures |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLN-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 seconds, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Cost at launch | $1,000 | $799 |