Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic GH5s

The Olympus E-3 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in October 2007 and January 2018. The E-3 is a DSLR, while the GH5s is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 9.9 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-3		Panasonic GH5s
Digital single lens reflex		Mirrorless system camera
Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
10 MP – Four Thirds sensor		9.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		4K/60p Video
ISO 100-3,200		ISO 160-51,200 (80 - 204,800)
Optical viewfinder		Electronic viewfinder (3680k dots)
2.5" LCD – 230k dots		3.2" LCD – 1620k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel touchscreen
5 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens stabilization only
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
750 shots per battery charge		440 shots per battery charge
142 x 116 x 75 mm, 876 g		139 x 98 x 87 mm, 660 g

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Check GH5s price at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-3 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s? 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

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-3 and the Panasonic GH5s is provided in the side-by-side display below. 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 measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic GH5s is notably smaller (17 percent) than the Olympus E-3. Moreover, the GH5s is markedly lighter (25 percent) than the E-3. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

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. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras, which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses. You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-3) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (GH5s). Mirrorless cameras, such as the GH5s, 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 E-3 gets 750 shots out of its Olympus BLM-1 battery, while the GH5s can take 440 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLF19 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. 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.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-3	142 mm	116 mm	75 mm	876 g	750	Y	Oct 2007	1,699	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic GH5s	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	660 g	440	Y	Jan 2018	2,499	amazon.com
3.		Nikon D300	147 mm	114 mm	74 mm	925 g	1000	Y	Aug 2007	1,799	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-1	141 mm	104 mm	81 mm	738 g	750	Y	Jun 2003	1,699	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-5	142 mm	117 mm	75 mm	873 g	750	Y	Sep 2010	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-30	142 mm	108 mm	75 mm	701 g	750	n	Nov 2008	1,299	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-410	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-420	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2008	599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-510	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	538 g	750	n	Mar 2007	799	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-520	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	535 g	750	n	May 2008	699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-600	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	535 g	500	n	Aug 2009	449	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-620	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	521 g	500	n	Feb 2009	699	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic FZ300	132 mm	92 mm	117 mm	691 g	380	Y	Jul 2015	599	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G2	124 mm	84 mm	74 mm	428 g	360	n	Mar 2010	599	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GH3	133 mm	93 mm	82 mm	550 g	540	Y	Sep 2012	1,299	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic GH4	133 mm	93 mm	84 mm	560 g	500	Y	Feb 2014	1,499	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic GH5	139 mm	98 mm	87 mm	725 g	410	Y	Jan 2017	1,999	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The E-3 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 32 percent) than the GH5s, 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 size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant 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 tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-3 offers a slightly higher resolution of 10 megapixels, compared with 9.9 MP of the GH5s. This megapixels advantage translates into a 0.90000000000001 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-3 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.74μm versus 4.77μm for the GH5s). Moreover, it should be noted that the GH5s is much more recent (by 10 years and 2 months) than the E-3, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the GH5s has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Olympus E-3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s are ISO 160 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-204800.

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 is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-3	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.6	10.5	571	56
2.		Panasonic GH5s	Four Thirds	9.9	3680	2700	4K/60p	23.1	12.8	1154	74
3.		Nikon D300	APS-C	12.2	4288	2848	none	22.1	12.0	679	67
4.		Olympus E-1	Four Thirds	4.9	2560	1920	none	20.0	9.7	-145	44
5.		Olympus E-5	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.6	10.5	519	56
6.		Olympus E-30	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.4	530	55
7.		Olympus E-410	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.1	10.0	494	51
8.		Olympus E-420	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.4	527	56
9.		Olympus E-510	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.2	10.0	442	52
10.		Olympus E-520	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.4	10.4	548	55
11.		Olympus E-600	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.5	10.3	541	55
12.		Olympus E-620	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.3	536	55
13.		Panasonic FZ300	1/2.3	12.0	4000	3000	4K/30p	19.3	11.0	97	38
14.		Panasonic G2	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.3	493	53
15.		Panasonic GH3	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	22.7	12.4	812	71
16.		Panasonic GH4	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.2	12.8	791	74
17.		Panasonic GH5	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/60p	23.9	13.0	807	77
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The GH5s indeed provides for movie recording, while the E-3 does not. The highest resolution format that the GH5s can use is 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the GH5s has an electronic viewfinder (3680k dots), while the E-3 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 viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the GH5s has a higher magnification than the one of the E-3 (0.76x vs 0.58x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-3, the Panasonic GH5s, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		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.		Olympus E-3	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Panasonic GH5s	3680	n	3.2 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	n
3.		Nikon D300	optical	Y	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
4.		Olympus E-1	optical	Y	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
5.		Olympus E-5	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-30	optical	Y	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Olympus E-410	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Olympus E-420	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
9.		Olympus E-510	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Olympus E-520	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus E-600	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Olympus E-620	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Panasonic FZ300	1440	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Panasonic G2	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	Y	1/4000s	2.6/s	Y	n
15.		Panasonic GH3	1746	n	3.0 / 614	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
16.		Panasonic GH4	2359	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	n
17.		Panasonic GH5	3680	n	3.2 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/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 E-3 has one, while the GH5s does not. While the built-in flash of the E-3 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

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 GH5s 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 Panasonic GH5s 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.

The E-3 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the GH5s uses SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

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 Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-3	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Panasonic GH5s	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
3.		Nikon D300	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Olympus E-1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Olympus E-5	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Olympus E-30	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Olympus E-410	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-420	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Olympus E-510	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Olympus E-520	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Olympus E-600	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Olympus E-620	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Panasonic FZ300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Panasonic G2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Panasonic GH3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Panasonic GH4	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Panasonic GH5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the GH5s offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the E-3 does not provide wifi capability.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

The GH5s is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the E-3 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the E-3 was succeeded by the Olympus E-5. Further information on the features and operation of the E-3 and GH5s can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-3 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic GH5s Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Olympus E-3 better than the Panasonic GH5s or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-3:

• 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.
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 440) on a single battery charge.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (32 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in October 2007).

Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5s:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 4K/60p video.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.58x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1620k vs 230k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 5 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 (139x98mm vs 142x116mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 216g or 25 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.1 vs 2.0).
• 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.
• More modern: Reflects 10 years and 2 months of technical progress since the E-3 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the GH5s is the clear winner of the contest (17 : 8 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro 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 Olympus E-3 and the Panasonic GH5s 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 comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-3 and the GH5s in practical situations. 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.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-3	..	88/100	..	+ +	o	4/5	Oct 2007	1,699	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic GH5s	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2018	2,499	amazon.com
3.		Nikon D300	..	+ +	..	+ +	5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2007	1,799	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-1	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jun 2003	1,699	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-5	4/5	..	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-30	..	..	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2008	1,299	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-410	..	86/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-420	..	85/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2008	599	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-510	..	89/100	..	+ +	3.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	799	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-520	..	87/100	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2008	699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-600	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Aug 2009	449	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-620	3/5	88/100	..	72/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2009	699	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic FZ300	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2015	599	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G2	..	..	..	72/100	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2010	599	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GH3	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	1,299	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic GH4	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	1,499	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic GH5	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2017	1,999	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 comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

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