Canon G3 X vs Olympus E-M1 II Detailed Comparison

Canon PowerShot G3 X vs Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

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Canon G3 X

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

$799.00
20%
off

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Olympus E-M1 II

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

$1,769.00
12%
off

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 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 #4 out of 7 Large Sensor Superzoom cameras with an overall score of 77 whereas Olympus E-M1 II is ranked #9 out of 152 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 - F5.6 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

60.0 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	$799 vs $1,769	$970 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	60.0fps vs 5.9fps	54.1 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	120% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	4096 x 2060 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
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
Selfie Friendly LCD	Yes vs Yes	Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote Control	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Image Stabilization
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon G3 X for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Fast Continuous Shooting: 60.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
121 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon G3 X for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-M1 II for Daily Photography

GOOD

Environmental Sealings
25X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
733g
Body Thickness 105mm
Read the details

Environmental Sealings
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
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

24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Read the details

Live-view
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
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 #5 out of 104 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #87 out of 1112 in all Cameras

Olympus E-M1 II

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #5 out of 45 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #14 out of 1112 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

$799.00
20%
off

Olympus E-M1 II

$1,769.00
12%
off

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	$799.00	$1,769.00
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
Max 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	86
Lens Focal Range	24–600 mm (25×)	no lens
Max Aperture	F2.8 - F5.6	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%
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a	0.74�
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	60.0 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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