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Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II

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Canon G3 X

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Canon G3 X
$849.00
15%
off
Change

Olympus E-M1 II

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-M1 II
$1,999.99
Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon G3 X is a Large Sensor Superzoom camera with a 20.0MP 1" sensor whereas Olympus E-M1 II is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor.
Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Canon G3 X is ranked #6 out of 8 Large Sensor Superzoom cameras with an overall score of 77 whereas Olympus E-M1 II is ranked #9 out of 30 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 89.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon G3 X Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-06-18
  • 20MP - 1" BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • 24–600 mm F2.8-5.6 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.2″ Tilting Screen
  • Electronic (optional) viewfinder
  • 5.9 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 733g. 123 x 77 x 105 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Olympus E-M1 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-09-19
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 64)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 15.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4096 x 2060 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 574g. 134 x 91 x 67 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Olympus OM-D E-M1 Compare
Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G3 X over Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3″ 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.620k dots vs 1.037k dots 56% higher resolution screen
Price $849 vs $2,000 $1,151 cheaper
Built-in ND Filter Yes vs No Use larger aperture under strong light
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Reasons to choose Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II over Canon PowerShot G3 X
Max ISO 25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 121 vs 31 90 more focus points
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster shutter speed
Continuous Shooting 15.0fps vs 5.9fps 9.1 fps faster
Battery Life 350 shots vs 300 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
Weight 574 g vs 733 g 159 g lighter
Flash Coverage 9.1m vs 6.8m 2.3m longer range
Color Depth 23.7 vs 21.4 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 12.8 vs 12.3 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 1312 vs 521 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 11.22µm2 vs 5.82µm2 92% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2060 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes (50.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Focus Bracketing Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking Yes vs No Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot G3 X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Optical vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs Yes Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic (Optional)) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 20 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs UHS-II Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot G3 X and Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II. Canon G3 X is 11mm narrower and 14mm shorter than Olympus E-M1 II but it is also 38mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon G3 X has a built-in lens but Olympus E-M1 II doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-M1 II, its thickness will increase significantly.

Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II.
Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-M1 II is significantly lighter (159g ) than the Canon G3 X which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-M1 II, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II: Sensor Comparison

Both Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon G3 X's sensor is 1" (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) and Olympus E-M1 II's sensor is Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm ).

Since Olympus E-M1 II's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon G3 X.

Below you can see the G3 X and E-M1 II sensor size comparison.

Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Olympus E-M1 II has a 1.9x Larger sensor area than Canon G3 X. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon G3 X for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 II for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic (Optional) Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon G3 X for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic (Optional) Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon G3 X for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic (Optional) Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
31 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
600 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.9fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
121 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Canon G3 X for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 II for Daily Photography

GOOD
Environmental Sealings
25X Optical Zoom
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
733g
Body Thickness 105mm
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
574g
Body Thickness 67mm
Read the details

Canon G3 X for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-M1 II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon G3 X and Olympus E-M1 II scores compare:

Canon G3 X
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #7 out of 107 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #97 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Olympus E-M1 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 49 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #15 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M1 II has a higher Overall Score but this doesn't make it an easy decision. Olympus E-M1 II may have better image quality, more features and smaller body compared to but Canon G3 X offers higher value for the money.
If you are a price conscious buyer and don't need the extra features, image quality and compactness that Olympus E-M1 II offers, Canon G3 X is the better choice for you. In all other cases, we recommend the Olympus E-M1 II!

Canon G3 X
Canon G3 X
$849.00
15%
off

Olympus E-M1 II
Olympus E-M1 II
$1,999.99

Olympus E-M1 II vs Canon G3 X Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon PowerShot G3 X Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Brand Canon Olympus
Announced 2015-06-18 2016-09-19
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) SLR-style mirrorless
Price $849.00 $1,999.99
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1" Four Thirds
Dimensions 13.2 x 8.8 mm 17.4 x 13 mm
Area 116.16mm2 226.20mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 5184 x 3888
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 125 ISO 200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 64 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 31 121
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses n/a 92
Lens Focal Range 24–600 mm (25×) no lens
Max Aperture F2.8-5.6 no lens
Macro Focus Range 5cm no lens
Screen
Type Tilting Fully Articulated
Size 3.2″ 3″
Resolution 1,620k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution n/a 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.80 m (with Auto ISO) 9.10 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.9 fps 15.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 4096 x 2060
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MOV, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 733g 574g
Dimensions 123 x 77 x 105mm 134 x 91 x 67mm
Battery Life 300 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 63 80
DxO Color Depth 21.4 23.7
DxO Dynamic Range 12.3 12.8
DxO Low Light ISO 521 1312
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