Olympus PEN
E-P3
 vs
Olympus
PEN E-P2

Olympus PEN E-P3

60

Reasons to buy the Olympus PEN E-P3

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Screen type
 OLED Screen
Bright and vivid
Panorama
 In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
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
Olympus PEN E-P2

47
Runner-up

Olympus PEN E-P2

Reasons to buy the Olympus PEN E-P2

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Interchangeable lenses
 Interchangeable lenses
Many lenses to choose from
Longest exposure
 Long exposures
60 seconds

differences

Advantages of the Olympus E-P3
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 30fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video
Screen resolution Significantly higher resolution screen 614k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 More than 2.5x higher resolution screen
Screen type Has an OLED screen OLED vs LCD
Help
 OLED screens are often brighter and more vibrant than typical LCD screens
Touch screen Has a touch screen Yes vs No
Help
 Fewer buttons to worry about and direct interaction with camera menus
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 12,800 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO 536 ISO vs 505 ISO
Help
 The E-P3 has a slight edge (0.1 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
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
Size Slightly smaller 122x69x34 mm vs 121x70x36 mm
Help
 Around 10% smaller
Thickness Slightly thinner 1.3" vs 1.4"
Help
 Almost the same
Olympus PEN E-P3 Learn more about
the Olympus E-P3

Advantages of the Olympus PEN E-P2
Color depth Better color depth 21.5 bits vs 20.8 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.7 more bits of color
Overall image quality Better image quality 56.0 vs 51.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 3,200 ISO vs 1,600 ISO
Help
 The PEN E-P2's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Dynamic range More dynamic range 10.4 EV vs 10.1 EV
Help
 0.3 f-stops more dynamic range
Lowest price Cheaper $479.95 vs $849.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $369 cheaper (more than 40% less)
Sensor size Slightly larger sensor Four thirds 18.0x13.5mm vs Four thirds 17.3x13.0mm
Help
 Around 10% larger sensor
Weight Slightly lighter 355 g vs 369 g
Help
 Almost the same
Olympus PEN E-P2 Learn more about
the Olympus PEN E-P2
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent mirrorless cameras, and ignoring price

Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P3
60 vs 47
Explain scores
Olympus PEN E-P2 Olympus PEN E-P2
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Olympus PEN E-P3.

advice

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by Emily-Bahne last month
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus PEN E-PL1

I'm a beginner. I'm going to be traveling all over the world and I want a camera that is light and...

similarities

Compared to recent mirrorless cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Sensor shift
Longest exposure Long exposures Help
60 seconds
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
E-P3:1,600 ISO
PEN E-P2:3,200 ISO
True resolution Capture low resolution images Help
12.2 MP
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
External mic jack Neither has an external mic jack Help
Limited to the in-camera mic
Supports 24p No support for 24p Help
Missing that film look
Dynamic range Poor dynamic range Help
E-P3:10.1 EV
PEN E-P2:10.4 EV
Viewfinder No viewfinders Help
Can only preview photos on the screen

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$643 - $1,125 body only

$731 - $964 with 14-42mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Thickness Is thicker
Image stabilization Doesn't have image stabilization
Compare the Lumix DMC-GX1 vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the Lumix DMC-GX1 vs the PEN E-P2
Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3

Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$589 - $600 with 14-42mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Compare the PEN Lite E-PL3 vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the PEN Lite E-PL3 vs the PEN E-P2
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$598 - $600 body only

$698 - $700 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has significantly better image quality
Longest exposure Significantly shorter exposures
Lens availability Slightly fewer lenses available
Compare the NEX-5N vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the NEX-5N vs the PEN E-P2
Olympus PEN E-PL2

Olympus PEN E-PL2

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$485 with 14-42mm lens
Light sensitivity Slightly higher maximum light sensitivity
Thickness Is thicker
Battery life Has a slightly shorter battery life
Compare the PEN E-PL2 vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the PEN E-PL2 vs the PEN E-P2
Sony Alpha NEX-5

Sony Alpha NEX-5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$569 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Longest exposure Significantly shorter exposures
Lens availability Slightly fewer lenses available
Compare the Alpha NEX-5 vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the Alpha NEX-5 vs the PEN E-P2
Olympus OM-D E-M5

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,000 - $1,299 body only

$1,100 with 14-42mm lens
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Lowest price Is significantly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the OM-D E-M5 vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the OM-D E-M5 vs the PEN E-P2
Olympus PEN E-PM1

Olympus PEN E-PM1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$500 with 14-42mm lens
Light sensitivity Significantly higher maximum light sensitivity
Weight Is slightly lighter
Compare the PEN E-PM1 vs the PEN E-P3
Compare the PEN E-PM1 vs the PEN E-P2

Olympus PEN E-P3 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon 1 V1

Nikon 1 V1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$797 - $947 with 10-30mm lens
High-speed framerate Records high-speed movies
Continuous shooting Shoots much faster
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Compare the 1 V1 vs the PEN E-P3
Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$1,200 body only

$1,350 - $1,499 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Much better image quality
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Screen type Doesn't have an OLED screen
Compare the NEX-7 vs the PEN E-P3

Olympus PEN E-P2 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Olympus PEN E-P2.

appearance

Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P2
Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P2
Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P2

discussion

Showing 1 comments

Avatar for DavidBerman DavidBerman (3:16 AM, July 11, 2011)
It is substantial that you should mention that the Ep2 comes with the electronic viewfinder in the box, while the ep3 does not include it... that's a $300 accessory.