Leica V-LUX 3 vs Olympus E-PL1
The Leica V-LUX 3 and the Olympus PEN E-PL1 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in December 2011 and February 2010. The V-LUX 3 is a fixed lens compact, while the E-PL1 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (V-LUX 3) and a Four Thirds (E-PL1) sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 12 megapixels, whereas the Olympus provides 12.2 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 Leica V-LUX 3 and the Olympus PEN E-PL1? 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 Leica V-LUX 3 and the Olympus E-PL1. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The E-PL1 can be obtained in four different colors (black, blue, yellow, white), while the V-LUX 3 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-PL1 is notably smaller (18 percent) than the Leica V-LUX 3. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the V-LUX 3 nor the E-PL1 are weather-sealed.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the V-LUX 3 has a lens built in, whereas the E-PL1 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the E-PL1 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.
Concerning battery life, the V-LUX 3 gets 410 shots out of its Leica BP-DC9 battery, while the E-PL1 can take 290 images on a single charge of its Olympus BLS-1 power pack.
The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.
# | Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price (USD) |
Street Price |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 3 | 124 mm | 81 mm | 95 mm | 540 g | 410 | n | Dec 2011 | 949 | ebay.com | |
2. | Olympus E-PL1 | 115 mm | 72 mm | 42 mm | 334 g | 290 | n | Feb 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon G1 X Mark II | 116 mm | 74 mm | 66 mm | 553 g | 240 | n | Feb 2014 | 799 | ebay.com | |
4. | Canon G1 X | 117 mm | 81 mm | 65 mm | 534 g | 250 | n | Jan 2012 | 799 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon SX50 | 123 mm | 87 mm | 106 mm | 595 g | 315 | n | Sep 2012 | 429 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon SX40 | 123 mm | 92 mm | 108 mm | 600 g | 380 | n | Sep 2011 | 429 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon SX30 | 123 mm | 92 mm | 108 mm | 601 g | 370 | n | Sep 2010 | 429 | ebay.com | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | 125 mm | 87 mm | 110 mm | 588 g | 540 | n | Sep 2012 | 949 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica V-LUX 2 | 124 mm | 80 mm | 95 mm | 520 g | 410 | n | Sep 2010 | 849 | ebay.com | |
10. | Olympus E-P3 | 122 mm | 69 mm | 34 mm | 369 g | 330 | n | Jun 2011 | 799 | ebay.com | |
11. | Olympus E-PL2 | 114 mm | 72 mm | 42 mm | 362 g | 280 | n | Jan 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
12. | Olympus E-PL3 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 37 mm | 313 g | 300 | n | Jun 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Olympus E-P1 | 121 mm | 70 mm | 36 mm | 355 g | 300 | n | Jun 2009 | 799 | ebay.com | |
14. | Olympus E-P2 | 121 mm | 70 mm | 36 mm | 355 g | 300 | n | Nov 2009 | 799 | ebay.com | |
15. | Panasonic FZ200 | 125 mm | 87 mm | 110 mm | 588 g | 540 | n | Jul 2012 | 599 | ebay.com | |
16. | Panasonic FZ150 | 124 mm | 82 mm | 92 mm | 528 g | 410 | n | Aug 2011 | 499 | ebay.com | |
17. | Panasonic FZ100 | 124 mm | 82 mm | 92 mm | 540 g | 410 | n | Jul 2010 | 499 | 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 naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.
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 generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Leica V-LUX 3 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Olympus E-PL1 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the E-PL1 is 704 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 2.0. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.
With 12.2MP, the E-PL1 offers a higher resolution than the V-LUX 3 (12MP), but the E-PL1 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 1.53μm for the V-LUX 3) due to its larger sensor. However, the V-LUX 3 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 10 months) than the E-PL1, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the V-LUX 3 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The Leica V-LUX 3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200, which can be extended to ISO 100-6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus PEN E-PL1 are ISO 200 to ISO 3200 (no boost).
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.
For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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 table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.
# | Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 3 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/60p | 19.7 | 11.0 | 430 | 42 | |
2. | Olympus E-PL1 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.5 | 10.1 | 487 | 54 | |
3. | Canon G1 X Mark II | 1.5-inch | 13.0 | 4160 | 3120 | 1080/30p | 21.5 | 10.8 | 581 | 58 | |
4. | Canon G1 X | 1.5-inch | 14.2 | 4352 | 3264 | 1080/24p | 21.7 | 10.8 | 644 | 60 | |
5. | Canon SX50 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/24p | 20.3 | 11.2 | 179 | 47 | |
6. | Canon SX40 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/24p | 19.6 | 10.9 | 409 | 41 | |
7. | Canon SX30 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 4320 | 3240 | 720/30p | 19.4 | 10.7 | 320 | 39 | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/60p | 19.8 | 11.1 | 501 | 43 | |
9. | Leica V-LUX 2 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 4320 | 3240 | 1080/60i | 19.4 | 10.7 | 321 | 39 | |
10. | Olympus E-P3 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 20.8 | 10.1 | 536 | 51 | |
11. | Olympus E-PL2 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.4 | 10.2 | 573 | 55 | |
12. | Olympus E-PL3 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 20.9 | 10.3 | 499 | 52 | |
13. | Olympus E-P1 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.4 | 10.4 | 536 | 55 | |
14. | Olympus E-P2 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.5 | 10.4 | 505 | 56 | |
15. | Panasonic FZ200 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/60p | 19.1 | 10.8 | 114 | 37 | |
16. | Panasonic FZ150 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/60p | 19.4 | 10.9 | 132 | 40 | |
17. | Panasonic FZ100 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 4320 | 3240 | 1080/60i | 19.4 | 10.7 | 306 | 39 | |
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 also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the V-LUX 3 provides a higher video resolution than the E-PL1. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the Olympus 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 V-LUX 3 has an electronic viewfinder (202k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the E-PL1 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the E-PL1 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the VF-2. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Leica V-LUX 3, the Olympus E-PL1, and comparable cameras.
# | 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. | Leica V-LUX 3 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
2. | Olympus E-PL1 | optional | n | 2.7 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
3. | Canon G1 X Mark II | optional | n | 3.0 / 1040 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 5.2/s | Y | Y | |
4. | Canon G1 X | optical | n | 3.0 / 922 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 1.9/s | Y | Y | |
5. | Canon SX50 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 461 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 2.2/s | Y | Y | |
6. | Canon SX40 | 202 | n | 2.7 / 230 | swivel | n | 1/3200s | 10.3/s | Y | Y | |
7. | Canon SX30 | 202 | n | 2.7 / 230 | swivel | n | 1/3200s | 0.6/s | Y | Y | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | 1312 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
9. | Leica V-LUX 2 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 11.0/s | Y | Y | |
10. | Olympus E-P3 | optional | n | 3.0 / 614 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
11. | Olympus E-PL2 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
12. | Olympus E-PL3 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 5.5/s | n | Y | |
13. | Olympus E-P1 | none | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | Y | |
14. | Olympus E-P2 | optional | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | n | Y | |
15. | Panasonic FZ200 | 1312 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
16. | Panasonic FZ150 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
17. | Panasonic FZ100 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 11.0/s | Y | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
The V-LUX 3 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the E-PL1 uses SDHC 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 Leica V-LUX 3 and Olympus PEN E-PL1 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. | Leica V-LUX 3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Olympus E-PL1 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Canon G1 X Mark II | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
4. | Canon G1 X | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
5. | Canon SX50 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Canon SX40 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | YES | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Canon SX30 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | YES | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Leica V-LUX 2 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
10. | Olympus E-P3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Olympus E-PL2 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
12. | Olympus E-PL3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Olympus E-P1 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Olympus E-P2 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Panasonic FZ200 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
16. | Panasonic FZ150 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
17. | Panasonic FZ100 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - |
Both the V-LUX 3 and the E-PL1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-PL1 was replaced by the Olympus E-PL2, while the V-LUX 3 was followed by the Leica V-LUX 4. Further information on the features and operation of the V-LUX 3 and E-PL1 can be found, respectively, in the Leica V-LUX 3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-PL1 Manual.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Leica V-LUX 3 and the Olympus E-PL1? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.
Arguments in favor of the Leica V-LUX 3:
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (1080/60p vs 720/30p).
- Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
- 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 (460k vs 230k dots).
- More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the E-PL1 requires a separate lens.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (410 versus 290) on a single battery charge.
- More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
- More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 10 months after the E-PL1).
Reasons to prefer the Olympus PEN E-PL1:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
- Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
- More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
- Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
- More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
- More compact: Is smaller (115x72mm vs 124x81mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
- More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2010).
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the V-LUX 3 is the clear winner of the match-up (12 : 8 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 Leica V-LUX 3 and the Olympus E-PL1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the V-LUX 3 or the E-PL1. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.
Expert reviews
This is where reviews by experts come in. 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. | Leica V-LUX 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Dec 2011 | 949 | ebay.com | |
2. | Olympus E-PL1 | .. | 86/100 | .. | 69/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2010 | 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon G1 X Mark II | 3/5 | + | .. | 77/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2014 | 799 | ebay.com | |
4. | Canon G1 X | 5/5 | + | .. | 76/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2012 | 799 | ebay.com | |
5. | Canon SX50 | 3/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | 429 | ebay.com | |
6. | Canon SX40 | .. | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Sep 2011 | 429 | ebay.com | |
7. | Canon SX30 | 3/5 | + + | .. | .. | 3.5/5 | 4/5 | Sep 2010 | 429 | ebay.com | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Sep 2012 | 949 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica V-LUX 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Sep 2010 | 849 | ebay.com | |
10. | Olympus E-P3 | .. | 83/100 | .. | 74/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2011 | 799 | ebay.com | |
11. | Olympus E-PL2 | 3/5 | 83/100 | .. | 71/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
12. | Olympus E-PL3 | 3/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Jun 2011 | 599 | ebay.com | |
13. | Olympus E-P1 | .. | + | .. | 66/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2009 | 799 | ebay.com | |
14. | Olympus E-P2 | 3/5 | + | .. | 69/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Nov 2009 | 799 | ebay.com | |
15. | Panasonic FZ200 | 3/5 | + + | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2012 | 599 | ebay.com | |
16. | Panasonic FZ150 | 3/5 | + + | .. | 76/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2011 | 499 | ebay.com | |
17. | Panasonic FZ100 | .. | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jul 2010 | 499 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.
- Canon 600D vs Leica V-LUX 3
- Canon 77D vs Olympus E-PL1
- Canon 7D vs Leica V-LUX 3
- Canon D60 vs Olympus E-PL1
- Canon G7 X Mark II vs Olympus E-PL1
- Canon G7 X Mark III vs Olympus E-PL1
- Contax N Digital vs Olympus E-PL1
- Fujifilm X-E1 vs Leica V-LUX 3
- Leica Q2 vs Leica V-LUX 3
- Leica V-LUX 3 vs Nikon D800E
- Leica V-LUX 3 vs Sony A7S
- Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony RX100 VII
Specifications: Leica V-LUX 3 vs Olympus E-PL1
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 | Leica V-LUX 3 | Olympus E-PL1 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Fixed lens compact camera | Mirrorless system camera |
Camera Lens | 25-600mm f/2.8-5.2 | Micro Four Thirds lenses |
Launch Date | December 2011 | February 2010 |
Launch Price | USD 949 | USD 599 |
Sensor Specs | Leica V-LUX 3 | Olympus E-PL1 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | 1/2.3" Sensor | Four Thirds Sensor |
Sensor Size | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 17.3 x 13.0 mm |
Sensor Area | 28.0735 mm2 | 224.9 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 7.7 mm | 21.6 mm |
Crop Factor | 5.6x | 2.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixels | 12.2 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 4000 x 3000 pixels | 4032 x 3024 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 1.53 μm | 4.29 μm |
Pixel Density | 42.74 MP/cm2 | 5.42 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | no AA filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/60p Video | 720/30p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 3,200 ISO | 200 - 3,200 ISO |
ISO Boost | 100 - 6,400 ISO | no Enhancement |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | .. | 54 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | .. | 21.5 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | .. | 10.1 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | .. | 487 |
Screen Specs | Leica V-LUX 3 | Olympus E-PL1 |
Viewfinder Type | Electronic viewfinder | Viewfinder optional |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | |
Viewfinder Resolution | 202k dots | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 2.7inch |
LCD Resolution | 460k dots | 230k dots |
LCD Attachment | Swivel screen | Fixed screen |
Shooting Specs | Leica V-LUX 3 | Olympus E-PL1 |
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | Contrast-detect AF |
Continuous Shooting | 12 shutter flaps/s | 3 shutter flaps/s |
Image Stabilization | Lens-based stabilization | In-body stabilization |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | Built-in Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | SDHC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | no | no |
Connectivity Specs | Leica V-LUX 3 | Olympus E-PL1 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | mini HDMI | mini HDMI |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Body Specs | Leica V-LUX 3 | Olympus E-PL1 |
Battery Type | Leica BP-DC9 | Olympus BLS-1 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 410 shots per charge | 290 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
124 x 81 x 95 mm (4.9 x 3.2 x 3.7 in) |
115 x 72 x 42 mm (4.5 x 2.8 x 1.7 in) |
Camera Weight | 540 g (19.0 oz) | 334 g (11.8 oz) |
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