Olympus OM-D
E-M5
 vs
Panasonic Lumix
DMC-G3

Updated (July, 2012): Compare the Olympus OM-D E-M5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

Olympus OM-D E-M5

90

  
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3

59

  

Reasons to buy the Olympus OM-D E-M5

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
25,600 ISO
Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
Screen type
 OLED Screen
Bright and vivid
 

Reasons to buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3

Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
3D
 Takes 3D photos
View photos in 3D on 3D televisions
Movie continuous focus
 Movie continuous focus
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
Badge
 Built-in focus motor
Autofocuses with more lenses
Size
 Really small
Standard size 115x84x47 mm
 

differences

Advantages of the Olympus E-M5
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
 Sealed to shoot in the rain
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality 71.0 vs 56.0
Help
 Around 30% better image quality
Battery life Much longer battery life 500 shots vs 270 shots
Help
 Around 90% more shots per battery charge
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.3 EV vs 10.6 EV
Help
 1.7 f-stops more dynamic range
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
Screen type Has an OLED screen OLED vs LCD
Help
 OLED screens are often brighter and more vibrant than typical LCD screens
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 25,600 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The E-M5's maximum light sensitivity is 2 f-stops better
Color depth Better color depth 22.8 bits vs 21 bits
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 Distinguishes 1.8 more bits of color
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
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 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 826 ISO vs 667 ISO
Help
 The E-M5 has a slight edge (0.3 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Startup delay Less startup delay 1100 ms vs 1400 ms
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 More than 20% less delay when turning on
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 9 fps vs 4 fps
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 Around 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Focus points Slightly more focus points 35 vs 23
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 Set focus accurately within the frame
Thickness Thinner 1.7" vs 1.9"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Learn more about
the Olympus E-M5

Advantages of the Panasonic DMC-G3
Movie continuous focus Continuous video focus Yes vs No
Help
 Record movies without worrying about focus
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Weight Lighter 336 g vs 425 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Lowest price Cheaper $499.00 vs $999.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $500 cheaper (2x less)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Learn more about
the Panasonic DMC-G3
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent mirrorless cameras, and ignoring price

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Olympus OM-D E-M5
90 vs 59
Explain scores
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Olympus OM-D E-M5.

similarities

Compared to recent mirrorless cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Viewfinder Both have digital viewfinders Help
Digital
Touch screen Have touch screens Help
Less buttons
Screen flips out Flip-out screens Help
Great for movies
3D 3D photos Help
View photos in 3D on 3D televisions
External flash Each supports an external flash Help
Better lighting
Size Large Help
E-M5:122x89x43 mm
DMC-G3:115x84x47 mm
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Supports 24p No support for 24p Help
Missing that film look

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$498 body only

$498 with 14-42mm lens
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
Continuous shooting Shoots faster continuously
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the Lumix DMC-G5 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Lumix DMC-G5 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Olympus PEN E-PL5

Olympus PEN E-PL5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$854 with 14-42mm lens
Startup delay Has slightly less startup delay
Size Is slightly smaller
Viewfinder Doesn't have a viewfinder
Compare the PEN E-PL5 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the PEN E-PL5 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,298 body only

$2,599 with 12-35mm lens
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the Lumix DMC-GH3 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Lumix DMC-GH3 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$239 - $249 body only

$399 - $419 with 14-42mm lens
HDR Has in-camera HDR
Size Is slightly smaller
Screen flips out Doesn't have a screen which flips out
Viewfinder Doesn't have a viewfinder
Compare the Lumix DMC-GX1 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Lumix DMC-GX1 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Longest exposure Slightly shorter exposures
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the D5100 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Olympus PEN E-P3

Olympus PEN E-P3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$369 with 14-42mm lens
Size Is slightly smaller
Thickness Is thinner
Screen flips out Doesn't have a screen which flips out
True resolution Takes slightly lower resolution photos
Compare the PEN E-P3 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the PEN E-P3 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix G6

Panasonic Lumix G6

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$749 with 14-42mm lens
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is significantly larger
Compare the Lumix G6 vs the OM-D E-M5
Compare the Lumix G6 vs the Lumix DMC-G3

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$948 body only

$1,098 with 18-55mm lens
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
True resolution Much higher true resolution
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Compare the NEX-7 vs the OM-D E-M5
Fujifilm X-E1

Fujifilm X-E1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$999 - $1,000 body only

$1,399 with 18-55mm lens
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Weather sealed No weather sealing
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Compare the X-E1 vs the OM-D E-M5
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm lens
Battery life Much longer battery life
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Compare the D7100 vs the OM-D E-M5
Fujifilm FinePix X100

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Boutique

$1,565
HDR Has in-camera HDR
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Movie format Lower resolution movies
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Compare the FinePix X100 vs the OM-D E-M5
Fujifilm FinePix X100s

Fujifilm FinePix X100s

Boutique

$1,299 - $1,300
HDR Has in-camera HDR
Sensor size Larger sensor
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Light sensitivity Worse maximum light sensitivity
Compare the FinePix X100s vs the OM-D E-M5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$447 - $740 with 18-55mm lens
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Battery life Much longer battery life
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Touch screen No touch screen
Compare the D3100 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$339 - $514 with 14-42mm lens
Size Significantly smaller
Battery life Longer battery life
Viewfinder No viewfinder
Low light performance More noise at high ISO
Compare the Lumix DMC-GF3 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$950 with 14-42mm lens
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
Battery life Significantly longer battery life
Movie format Lower resolution movies
Low light performance More noise at high ISO
Compare the Lumix DMC-G2 vs the Lumix DMC-G3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$600 with 14-42mm lens
Battery life Longer battery life
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity
Viewfinder No viewfinder
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Compare the Lumix DMC-GF5 vs the Lumix DMC-G3

appearance

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3

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