Olympus E-M10 III vs Panasonic GX7

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in August 2017 and August 2013. Both the E-M10 III and the GX7 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 15.8 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-M10 III		Panasonic GX7
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
15.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor		15.8 MP – Four Thirds sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 125-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2760k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting touchscreen
8.6 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
330 shots per battery charge		350 shots per battery charge
122 x 84 x 50 mm, 410 g		123 x 71 x 55 mm, 402 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7? 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 physical size and weight of the Olympus E-M10 III and the Panasonic GX7 are illustrated 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 size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Both cameras are available in two different colors (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic GX7 is notably smaller (15 percent) than the Olympus E-M10 III. Moreover, the GX7 is slightly lighter (2 percent) than the E-M10 III. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-M10 III nor the GX7 are weather-sealed.

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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the E-M10 III gets 330 shots out of its BLS-50 battery, while the GX7 can take 350 images on a single charge of its DMW-BLG10 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.

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-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic GX7	123 mm	71 mm	55 mm	402 g	350	n	Aug 2013	999	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M10 IV	122 mm	84 mm	49 mm	383 g	360	n	Aug 2020	699	amazon.com
4.		Olympus E-PL10	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Oct 2019	599	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-PL9	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Feb 2018	599	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-PL8	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
7.		Olympus PEN-F	125 mm	72 mm	37 mm	427 g	330	n	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	699	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-PL7	115 mm	67 mm	38 mm	357 g	350	n	Aug 2014	599	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	999	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-PL6	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	May 2013	599	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX85	122 mm	71 mm	44 mm	426 g	290	n	Apr 2016	799	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G5	120 mm	83 mm	71 mm	396 g	320	n	Jul 2012	599	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GH2	124 mm	90 mm	76 mm	442 g	330	n	Sep 2010	899	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. 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-M10 III was launched at a markedly lower price (by 35 percent) than the GX7, 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 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. 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 more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras 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-M10 III offers a slightly higher resolution of 15.9 megapixels, compared with 15.8 MP of the GX7. This megapixels advantage translates into a 0.3 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-M10 III has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 3.77μm for the GX7). In this context, it should be noted, however, that the E-M10 III is much more recent (by 4 years and 1 month) than the GX7, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the E-M10 III has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 are ISO 125 to ISO 25600 (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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. 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.

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-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1120	74
2.		Panasonic GX7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	22.6	12.2	718	70
3.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.2	1402	76
4.		Olympus E-PL10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.3	13.1	1324	76
5.		Olympus E-PL9	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1162	74
6.		Olympus E-PL8	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
7.		Olympus PEN-F	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	23.1	12.4	894	74
8.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
9.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
10.		Olympus E-PL7	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.7	12.4	873	72
11.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
12.		Olympus E-PL6	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.5	12.0	717	68
13.		Panasonic GX85	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.9	12.6	662	71
14.		Panasonic G5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	21.4	11.6	618	61
15.		Panasonic GH2	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	21.2	11.3	655	60
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 E-M10 III provides a higher video resolution than the GX7. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Panasonic is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the GX7 offers a higher resolution than the one in the E-M10 III (2760k vs 2360k dots). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus E-M10 III and Panasonic GX7 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar 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-M10 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
2.		Panasonic GX7	2760	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Olympus E-M10 IV	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	15.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Olympus E-PL10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
5.		Olympus E-PL9	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-PL8	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
7.		Olympus PEN-F	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
8.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Olympus E-PL7	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
11.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Olympus E-PL6	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
13.		Panasonic GX85	2765	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Panasonic G5	1440	n	3.0 / 920	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
15.		Panasonic GH2	1534	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

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, both cameras under consideration feature an 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-M10 III and the Panasonic GX7 both have 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 E-M10 III and the GX7 write their files to SDXC cards. The E-M10 III supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the GX7 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

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 OM-D E-M10 Mark III and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 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-M10 III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Panasonic GX7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Olympus E-PL10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Olympus E-PL9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Olympus E-PL8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Olympus PEN-F	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Olympus E-PL7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Olympus E-PL6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Panasonic GX85	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Panasonic G5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Panasonic GH2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Both the E-M10 III and the GX7 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The GX7 was replaced by the Panasonic GX85, while the E-M10 III was followed by the Olympus E-M10 IV. Further information on the features and operation of the E-M10 III and GX7 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-M10 III Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic GX7 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-M10 III or the Panasonic GX7 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8.6 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (35 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 1 month of technical progress since the GX7 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2760k vs 2360k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.62x).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• More compact: Is smaller (123x71mm vs 122x84mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in August 2013).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the GX7 comes out slightly ahead of the E-M10 III (7 : 6 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 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 Olympus E-M10 III and the Panasonic GX7 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing 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 E-M10 III or the GX7. 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 following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera 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-M10 III	..	+	5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	649	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic GX7	4/5	+	..	79/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2013	999	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M10 IV	4.5/5	..	5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2020	699	amazon.com
4.		Olympus E-PL10	..	..	4/5	77/100	..	4/5	Oct 2019	599	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-PL9	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2018	599	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-PL8	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	549	ebay.com
7.		Olympus PEN-F	..	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,199	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	699	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-PL7	4/5	+	..	..	5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	599	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-PL6	..	..	..	..	..	..	May 2013	599	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX85	4.5/5	+ +	..	82/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2016	799	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic G5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2012	599	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GH2	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2010	899	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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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.

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