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Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3

Portability
84
Imaging
59
Features
79
Overall
67
Olympus PEN-F front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 front
Portability
91
Imaging
34
Features
40
Overall
36

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Key Specs

Olympus PEN-F
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 427g - 125 x 72 x 37mm
  • Introduced January 2016
Panasonic LX3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/1.63" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-60mm (F2.0-2.8) lens
  • 265g - 109 x 60 x 27mm
  • Released November 2008
  • Later Model is Panasonic LX5
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Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Overview

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus PEN-F versus Panasonic LX3, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and LX3 (10MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and LX3 (1/1.63") boast different sensor sizes.

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The PEN-F was unveiled 7 years after the LX3 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a concise view of how the PEN-F matches up versus the LX3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus PEN-F over the Panasonic LX3

 PEN-F LX3 
ReleasedJanuary 2016November 2008Newer by 88 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1037k460kClearer screen (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic LX3 over the Olympus PEN-F

 LX3 PEN-F 

Common features in the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic LX3

 PEN-F LX3 
Manual focus Very accurate focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen dimensions

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Physical Comparison

When you are looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus PEN-F features external dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX3 has measurements of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Examine the Olympus PEN-F versus Panasonic LX3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the PEN-F vs the LX3.

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and LX3 is 84 and 91 respectively.

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Sensor Comparison

Normally, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by researching specifications. The image below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the PEN-F and LX3.

To sum up, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The PEN-F using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus PEN-F will provide you with extra detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The newer PEN-F provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 sensor size comparison

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus PEN-F Portrait photography info
Panasonic LX3 Portrait photography info
75
focusing manually
megapixel count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
40
manual focus
exports RAW formats
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/1.63")
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Street Comparison

Olympus PEN-F Street photography highlights
Panasonic LX3 Street photography highlights
84
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
provides touch to focus
good high ISO (25,600)
60
image stabilization (Optical)
exports RAW formats
fixed screen
sensor is tiny (1/1.63")
heavier than competitors in class (265 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus PEN-F as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic LX3 as a Sports photography camera
67
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent shooting (1/16,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes tracking autofocus
not so great battery (330 CIPA)
no phase detect autofocus
27
image stabilization (Optical)
painfully slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/1.63")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus PEN-F as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic LX3 as a Travel photography camera
75
provides touch to focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
selfie friendly display
not so great battery (330 per charge)
60
built-in flash
rather wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
missing Time Lapse function
heavier than competitors in class (265 grams)
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus PEN-F Landscape photography highlights
Panasonic LX3 Landscape photography highlights
76
focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
not so great battery (330 CIPA)
52
manual focus
rather wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
screen size is decent (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
exports RAW formats
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is tiny (1/1.63")
missing Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus PEN-F Vlogging information
Panasonic LX3 Vlogging information
78
selfie friendly display
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
no external mic jack
30
rather wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Optical)
screen is not selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 pxls)
missing external mic support
heavier than competitors in class (265g)
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Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic LX3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic LX3
 Olympus PEN-FPanasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus PEN-F Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
Class Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Introduced 2016-01-27 2008-11-04
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/1.63"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 8.07 x 5.56mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 44.9mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 10 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 3648 x 2736
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 200 80
RAW files
Min boosted ISO 80 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 81 -
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-60mm (2.5x)
Maximum aperture - f/2.0-2.8
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 4.5
Screen
Type of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 1,037k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.62x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 secs 60 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/2000 secs
Highest silent shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shooting rate 10.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 8.30 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
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) 1280 x 720 (HD 24 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30fps), 320 x 240 (10fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG -
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In 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 427 grams (0.94 pounds) 265 grams (0.58 pounds)
Physical dimensions 125 x 72 x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") 109 x 60 x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 74 39
DXO Color Depth rating 23.1 19.6
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 10.8
DXO Low light rating 894 94
Other
Battery life 330 photographs -
Battery style Battery Pack -
Battery ID BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 seconds, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at launch $1,000 $449