Canon T3 vs Olympus E-M5 III
The Canon EOS Rebel T3 (called Canon 1100D in some regions) and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2011 and October 2019. The T3 is a DSLR, while the E-M5 III is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an APS-C (T3) and a Four Thirds (E-M5 III) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 12.2 megapixels, whereas the Olympus provides 20.2 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS Rebel T3 and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon T3 and the Olympus E-M5 III. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The E-M5 III can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the T3 is only available in black.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-M5 III is notably smaller (18 percent) than the Canon T3. Moreover, the E-M5 III is markedly lighter (16 percent) than the T3. It is noteworthy in this context that the E-M5 III is splash and dust-proof, while the T3 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses, although exceptions exist. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Canon EF Lens Catalog (T3) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-M5 III). Mirrorless cameras, such as the E-M5 III, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.
Concerning battery life, the T3 gets 700 shots out of its Canon LP-E10 battery, while the E-M5 III can take 310 images on a single charge of its Olympus BLS-50 power pack. The power pack in the E-M5 III can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.
The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.
# | Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon T3 | 130 mm | 100 mm | 78 mm | 495 g | 700 | n | Feb 2011 | 449 | ebay.com | |
2. | Olympus E-M5 III | 125 mm | 85 mm | 50 mm | 414 g | 310 | Y | Oct 2019 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon T100 | 129 mm | 102 mm | 77 mm | 436 g | 500 | n | Feb 2018 | 399 | amazon.com | |
4. | Canon T6 | 129 mm | 101 mm | 78 mm | 485 g | 500 | n | Mar 2016 | 449 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon T5 | 130 mm | 100 mm | 78 mm | 480 g | 500 | n | Feb 2014 | 449 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon G1 X | 117 mm | 81 mm | 65 mm | 534 g | 250 | n | Jan 2012 | 799 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon T4i | 133 mm | 100 mm | 79 mm | 575 g | 440 | n | Jun 2012 | 849 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon T3i | 133 mm | 100 mm | 80 mm | 570 g | 440 | n | Feb 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon T2i | 129 mm | 98 mm | 62 mm | 530 g | 440 | n | Feb 2010 | 699 | ebay.com | |
10. | Canon XS | 126 mm | 98 mm | 65 mm | 502 g | 500 | n | Jun 2008 | 449 | ebay.com | |
11. | Canon XSi | 129 mm | 98 mm | 62 mm | 524 g | 500 | n | Jan 2008 | 799 | ebay.com | |
12. | Canon XTi | 127 mm | 84 mm | 65 mm | 556 g | 370 | n | Aug 2006 | 799 | ebay.com | |
13. | Olympus PEN-F | 125 mm | 72 mm | 37 mm | 427 g | 330 | n | Jan 2016 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
14. | Olympus E-M5 II | 124 mm | 85 mm | 45 mm | 469 g | 310 | Y | Feb 2015 | 1,099 | ebay.com | |
15. | Olympus E-M1 | 130 mm | 94 mm | 63 mm | 497 g | 350 | Y | Sep 2013 | 1,399 | ebay.com | |
16. | OM System OM-5 | 125 mm | 85 mm | 50 mm | 414 g | 310 | Y | Oct 2022 | 1,199 | amazon.com | |
17. | Panasonic GX8 | 133 mm | 78 mm | 63 mm | 487 g | 330 | Y | Jul 2015 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The T3 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 63 percent) than the E-M5 III, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon T3 features an APS-C sensor and the Olympus E-M5 III a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the E-M5 III is 30 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 2.0. The sensor in the T3 has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the E-M5 III offers a 4:3 aspect.
Despite having a smaller sensor, the E-M5 III offers a higher resolution of 20.2 megapixels, compared with 12.2 MP of the T3. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.34μm versus 5.15μm for the T3). However, it should be noted that the E-M5 III is much more recent (by 8 years and 8 months) than the T3, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the E-M5 III has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-M5 III implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-M5 III for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 19.4 inches or 65.8 x 49.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 15.6 inches or 52.7 x 39.5 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 13 inches or 43.9 x 32.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Canon T3 are 21.4 x 14.2 inches or 54.3 x 36.2 cm for good quality, 17.1 x 11.4 inches or 43.4 x 28.9 cm for very good quality, and 14.2 x 9.5 inches or 36.2 x 24.1 cm for excellent quality prints.
The E-M5 III has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.
Unlike the T3, the E-M5 III has the capacity to capture high quality composite images (80MP) by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).
The Canon EOS Rebel T3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 64-25600.
Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.
# | Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon T3 | APS-C | 12.2 | 4272 | 2848 | 720/30p | 21.9 | 11.0 | 755 | 62 | |
2. | Olympus E-M5 III | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 23.3 | 13.1 | 1324 | 76 | |
3. | Canon T100 | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 21.9 | 11.4 | 695 | 63 | |
4. | Canon T6 | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.0 | 11.7 | 781 | 66 | |
5. | Canon T5 | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 21.9 | 11.3 | 724 | 63 | |
6. | Canon G1 X | 1.5-inch | 14.2 | 4352 | 3264 | 1080/24p | 21.7 | 10.8 | 644 | 60 | |
7. | Canon T4i | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 21.7 | 11.2 | 722 | 62 | |
8. | Canon T3i | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.1 | 11.5 | 793 | 65 | |
9. | Canon T2i | APS-C | 17.9 | 5184 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.1 | 11.5 | 784 | 66 | |
10. | Canon XS | APS-C | 10.1 | 3888 | 2592 | none | 22.0 | 10.9 | 719 | 62 | |
11. | Canon XSi | APS-C | 12.2 | 4272 | 2848 | none | 21.9 | 10.8 | 692 | 61 | |
12. | Canon XTi | APS-C | 10.1 | 3888 | 2592 | none | 22.1 | 11.0 | 664 | 62 | |
13. | Olympus PEN-F | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 1080/60p | 23.1 | 12.4 | 894 | 74 | |
14. | Olympus E-M5 II | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/60p | 23.0 | 12.5 | 842 | 73 | |
15. | Olympus E-M1 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 23.0 | 12.7 | 757 | 73 | |
16. | OM System OM-5 | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 23.4 | 13.4 | 1622 | 78 | |
17. | Panasonic GX8 | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 23.5 | 12.6 | 806 | 75 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the E-M5 III provides a better video resolution than the T3. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the Canon is limited to 720/30p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the E-M5 III has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the T3 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the E-M5 III offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the T3 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the E-M5 III has a higher magnification (0.68x vs 0.50x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon T3 and Olympus E-M5 III along with similar information for a selection of comparators.
# | Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon T3 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
2. | Olympus E-M5 III | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
3. | Canon T100 | optical | n | 2.7 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
4. | Canon T6 | optical | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
5. | Canon T5 | optical | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
6. | Canon G1 X | optical | n | 3.0 / 922 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 1.9/s | Y | Y | |
7. | Canon T4i | optical | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
8. | Canon T3i | optical | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 3.7/s | Y | n | |
9. | Canon T2i | optical | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.7/s | Y | n | |
10. | Canon XS | optical | n | 2.5 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
11. | Canon XSi | optical | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | n | |
12. | Canon XTi | optical | n | 2.5 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
13. | Olympus PEN-F | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1037 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
14. | Olympus E-M5 II | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1037 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
15. | Olympus E-M1 | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1037 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
16. | OM System OM-5 | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
17. | Panasonic GX8 | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The T3 has one, while the E-M5 III does not. While the built-in flash of the T3 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The E-M5 III has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the T3 does not have a selfie-screen.The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the E-M5 III is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).
The Olympus E-M5 III has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the T3 and the E-M5 III write their files to SDXC cards. The E-M5 III supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the T3 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS Rebel T3 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
# | Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon T3 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Olympus E-M5 III | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | Y | |
3. | Canon T100 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
4. | Canon T6 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
5. | Canon T5 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Canon G1 X | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Canon T4i | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Canon T3i | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Canon T2i | Y | stereo / - | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
10. | Canon XS | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Canon XSi | Y | - / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
12. | Canon XTi | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Olympus PEN-F | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
14. | Olympus E-M5 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
15. | Olympus E-M1 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
16. | OM System OM-5 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | Y | |
17. | Panasonic GX8 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - |
It is notable that the E-M5 III offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the T3 does not provide wifi capability.
Both the T3 and the E-M5 III have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The T3 was replaced by the Canon T5, while the E-M5 III was followed by the OM System OM-5. Further information on the features and operation of the T3 and E-M5 III can be found, respectively, in the Canon T3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-M5 III Manual.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Canon T3 or the Olympus E-M5 III – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Advantages of the Canon EOS Rebel T3:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (700 versus 310) on a single battery charge.
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (63 percent cheaper at launch).
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2011).
Arguments in favor of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (20.2 vs 12.2MP), which boosts linear resolution by 26%.
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
- Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 720/30p).
- Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
- Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
- More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
- More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.68x vs 0.50x).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.7") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 230k dots).
- More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- More compact: Is smaller (125x85mm vs 130x100mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
- Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 81g or 16 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
- Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
- Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
- Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
- More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
- Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
- Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
- Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-II standard.
- More modern: Reflects 8 years and 8 months of technical progress since the T3 launch.
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the E-M5 III is the clear winner of the contest (28 : 6 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon T3 and the Olympus E-M5 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the T3 or the E-M5 III perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
# | Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Canon T3 | .. | 80/100 | .. | 69/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2011 | 449 | ebay.com | |
2. | Olympus E-M5 III | 5/5 | + | 5/5 | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Oct 2019 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon T100 | .. | o | 3/5 | .. | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Feb 2018 | 399 | amazon.com | |
4. | Canon T6 | 4/5 | o | 4/5 | 73/100 | 4/5 | 4/5 | Mar 2016 | 449 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon T5 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2014 | 449 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon G1 X | 5/5 | + | .. | 76/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2012 | 799 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon T4i | 4/5 | + + | .. | 77/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2012 | 849 | ebay.com | |
8. | Canon T3i | 3/5 | o | .. | 77/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
9. | Canon T2i | .. | + + | .. | 77/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2010 | 699 | ebay.com | |
10. | Canon XS | .. | 82/100 | .. | + + | 3.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2008 | 449 | ebay.com | |
11. | Canon XSi | .. | + + | .. | + + | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2008 | 799 | ebay.com | |
12. | Canon XTi | .. | + + | .. | + + | o | 4/5 | Aug 2006 | 799 | ebay.com | |
13. | Olympus PEN-F | .. | .. | 4/5 | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jan 2016 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
14. | Olympus E-M5 II | 5/5 | + + | 4.5/5 | 81/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2015 | 1,099 | ebay.com | |
15. | Olympus E-M1 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2013 | 1,399 | ebay.com | |
16. | OM System OM-5 | 5/5 | .. | 4.5/5 | 83/100 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Oct 2022 | 1,199 | amazon.com | |
17. | Panasonic GX8 | 5/5 | + | .. | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2015 | 1,199 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 500D vs Olympus E-M5 III
- Canon G9 X Mark II vs Canon T3
- Canon R8 vs Canon T3
- Canon T3 vs Fujifilm X-A1
- Canon T3 vs Olympus E-P5
- Canon T3 vs Sony A7R
- Canon T3 vs Sony NEX-5N
- Fujifilm X-E1 vs Olympus E-M5 III
- Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic GM5
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Specifications: Canon T3 vs Olympus E-M5 III
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Canon T3 | Olympus E-M5 III |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Mirrorless system camera |
Camera Lens | Canon EF mount lenses | Micro Four Thirds lenses |
Launch Date | February 2011 | October 2019 |
Launch Price | USD 449 | USD 1,199 |
Sensor Specs | Canon T3 | Olympus E-M5 III |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | Four Thirds Sensor |
Sensor Size | 22.0 x 14.7 mm | 17.3 x 13.0 mm |
Sensor Area | 323.4 mm2 | 224.9 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 26.5 mm | 21.6 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.6x | 2.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 12.2 Megapixels | 20.2 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 4272 x 2848 pixels | 5184 x 3888 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 5.15 μm | 3.34 μm |
Pixel Density | 3.76 MP/cm2 | 8.96 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | no AA filter |
Movie Capability | 720/30p Video | 4K/30p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 6,400 ISO | 200 - 25,600 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 64 - 25,600 ISO |
Image Processor | DIGIC 4 | TruePic VIII |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 62 | .. |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | 21.9 | .. |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 11.0 | .. |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | 755 | .. |
Screen Specs | Canon T3 | Olympus E-M5 III |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Electronic viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 95% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.50x | 0.68x |
Viewfinder Resolution | 2360k dots | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 2.7inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 230k dots | 1040k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Swivel screen |
Touch Input | no Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
Shooting Specs | Canon T3 | Olympus E-M5 III |
Focus System | Phase-detect AF | On-Sensor Phase-detect |
Manual Focusing Aid | no Peaking Feature | Focus Peaking |
Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
Continuous Shooting | 3 shutter flaps/s | 10 shutter flaps/s |
Electronic Shutter | no E-Shutter | up to 1/32000s |
Time-Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | Intervalometer built-in |
Image Stabilization | Lens stabilization only | In-body stabilization |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | no | UHS-II |
Connectivity Specs | Canon T3 | Olympus E-M5 III |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | mini HDMI | micro HDMI |
Microphone Port | no MIC socket | External MIC port |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | Wifi built-in |
Bluetooth Support | no Bluetooth | Bluetooth built-in |
Body Specs | Canon T3 | Olympus E-M5 III |
Environmental Sealing | not weather sealed | Weathersealed body |
Battery Type | Canon LP-E10 | Olympus BLS-50 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 700 shots per charge | 310 shots per charge |
In-Camera Charging | no USB charging | USB charging |
Body Dimensions |
130 x 100 x 78 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 3.1 in) |
125 x 85 x 50 mm (4.9 x 3.3 x 2.0 in) |
Camera Weight | 495 g (17.5 oz) | 414 g (14.6 oz) |
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