Olympus E-P3 Comparison Review

The Olympus PEN E-P3 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in June 2011 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 12.2 megapixel.

Is the Olympus E-P3 a good camera? The E-P3 has a Camera Elo of 1546. This rating puts the E-P3 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the E-P3 also ranks below average. – Well, the Olympus E-P3 is more than 7 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2011.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-P3
Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses
12.2 MP, Four Thirds Sensor
1080/60i Video
ISO 200-12800
Viewfinder optional
3.0" LCD, 614k dots
Fixed touchscreen
3 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
330 shots per battery charge
122 x 69 x 34 mm, 369 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Olympus E-P3 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Olympus E-P3 alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-P3	4.8 in	2.7 in	1.3 in	13.0 oz	330	n	Jun 2011	799	-		Olympus E-P3
	Olympus E-P5« »	4.8 in	2.7 in	1.5 in	14.8 oz	330	n	May 2013	999	-		Olympus E-P5
	Olympus E-PL5« »	4.4 in	2.5 in	1.5 in	11.5 oz	360	n	Sep 2012	599	-		Olympus E-PL5
	Olympus E-PL2« »	4.5 in	2.8 in	1.7 in	12.8 oz	280	n	Jan 2011	599	-		Olympus E-PL2
	Olympus E-PL3« »	4.3 in	2.5 in	1.5 in	11.0 oz	300	n	Jun 2011	599	-		Olympus E-PL3
	Olympus E-PM1« »	4.3 in	2.5 in	1.3 in	9.3 oz	330	n	Jun 2011	499	-		Olympus E-PM1
	Olympus E-PL1« »	4.5 in	2.8 in	1.7 in	11.8 oz	290	n	Feb 2010	599	-		Olympus E-PL1
	Olympus E-P1« »	4.8 in	2.8 in	1.4 in	12.5 oz	300	n	Jun 2009	799	-		Olympus E-P1
	Olympus E-P2« »	4.8 in	2.8 in	1.4 in	12.5 oz	300	n	Nov 2009	799	-		Olympus E-P2
	Panasonic GX1« »	4.6 in	2.7 in	1.5 in	11.2 oz	320	n	Nov 2011	699	-		Panasonic GX1
	Panasonic G10« »	4.9 in	3.3 in	2.9 in	13.7 oz	380	n	Mar 2010	499	-		Panasonic G10
Convert to Metric
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Olympus E-P3 was launched in the US market at a price of $799. 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 with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and 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 associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Olympus E-P3 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Olympus E-P3 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

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 adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The E-P3 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the E-P3 can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-P3 and comparable cameras.

One convenient feature of the E-P3 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection 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 PEN E-P3 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the E-P3 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-P3	83/100	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2011	799	-		Olympus E-P3
	Olympus E-P5« »	+ +	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999	-		Olympus E-P5
	Olympus E-PL5« »	+ +	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	599	-		Olympus E-PL5
	Olympus E-PL2« »	83/100	71/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2011	599	-		Olympus E-PL2
	Olympus E-PL3« »	+ +	72/100	4.5/5	-	4/5	Jun 2011	599	-		Olympus E-PL3
	Olympus E-PM1« »	86/100	71/100	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jun 2011	499	-		Olympus E-PM1
	Olympus E-PL1« »	86/100	69/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2010	599	-		Olympus E-PL1
	Olympus E-P1« »	+	66/100	4/5	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2009	799	-		Olympus E-P1
	Olympus E-P2« »	+	69/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2009	799	-		Olympus E-P2
	Panasonic GX1« »	+	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2011	699	-		Panasonic GX1
	Panasonic G10« »	-	70/100	4/5	-	4/5	Mar 2010	499	-		Panasonic G10
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review of this and another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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