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Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Comparison

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Olympus E-P3

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-P3
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Olympus E-P5

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-P5
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Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing E-P3 and E-P5, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by Olympus. Olympus E-P3 was introduced to market in August 2011 and Olympus E-P5 was launched in October 2013. As you can see, E-P3 is 2 years older than E-P5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

E-P3 and E-P5 are members of Olympus's PEN E-P series of cameras. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Olympus PEN E-P Series History
Model Release Date Sensor Dimensions Weight
Olympus E-P7
  
2021 20.0MP - Four Thirds 118 x 69 x 38mm 337g
Olympus E-P5
2013 16.0MP - Four Thirds 122 x 69 x 37mm 420g
Olympus E-P3
2011 12.0MP - Four Thirds 122 x 69 x 34mm 369g
Olympus E-P2
  
2010 12.0MP - Four Thirds 121 x 70 x 36mm 355g
Olympus E-P1
  
2009 12.0MP - Four Thirds 121 x 70 x 36mm 355g

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-P3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-08-17
  • 12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 3.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 369g. 122 x 69 x 34 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-P2 Compare

Olympus E-P5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-10-03
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 9.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 420g. 122 x 69 x 37 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-P3 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-P3 over Olympus PEN E-P5
Weight
369 g vs 420 g 51 g lighter
Flash Coverage
10.0m vs 7.0m 3m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
18.45µm2 vs 14.12µm2 30% larger pixel area
CHECK E-P3 PRICE


Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-P5 over Olympus PEN E-P3
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Resolution
1.037k dots vs 614k dots 68% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
9.0fps vs 3.0fps 6 fps faster
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth
22.8 vs 20.8 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
12.4 vs 10.1 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
895 vs 536 better High ISO performance
CHECK E-P5 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus PEN E-P3 and Olympus PEN E-P5
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Electronic (Optional) vs Electronic (Optional) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
614k dots vs 1.037k dots High resolution screens
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Olympus PEN E-P3 and Olympus PEN E-P5
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-P3 has external dimensions of 122 x 69 x 34 mm (4.8 x 2.72 x 1.34″) and weighs 369 g (0.81 lb / 13.02 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-P5 has external dimensions of 122 x 69 x 37 mm (4.8 x 2.72 x 1.46″) and weighs 420 g (0.93 lb / 14.82 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5. Olympus E-P3 has the same height and width with Olympus E-P5. On the other hand, with a thickness of 34mm, it is 3mm thinner.

Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5.

Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5.
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-P3 is 51g lighter than the Olympus E-P5 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 have the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount and Four Thirds sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-P3
E-P5
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-P3
E-P5
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Olympus PEN E-P3 nor Olympus PEN E-P5 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Olympus E-P5 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Olympus E-P3 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-P5.


Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-P3 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VI processor. On the other hand, Olympus E-P5 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the E-P3 and E-P5 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 Cameras


Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Olympus E-P3 has 30% larger pixel area compared to Olympus E-P5, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that E-P5 has a better overall score of 72, 21 points higher compared to E-P3's score of 51.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Olympus E-P3 51 20.8 bits 10.1 Evs 536 ISO
Olympus E-P5 72 22.8 bits 12.4 Evs 895 ISO
Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 have the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount and currently there are 121 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-P3 Lenses # of Olympus E-P5 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 18
Standard Prime 15 15
Wideangle Zoom 6 6
Wideangle Prime 32 32
Telephoto Zoom 19 19
Telephoto Prime 11 11
SuperZoom 8 8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 5
Macro Prime 5 5
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 1
TOTAL 121 121

Here are some of the most popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for E-P3 and E-P5
Model Coverage Weight Focusing Street Price
OM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO Lens OM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO
FourThirds 382gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH Lens Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH
FourThirds 125gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS
FourThirds 210gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS Lens Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS
FourThirds 1120gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS
FourThirds 655gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4.0 ASPH Power OIS
FourThirds 320gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH Power OIS Lens Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH Power OIS
FourThirds 985gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ Lens Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ
FourThirds 91gr AF Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 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.

Olympus E-P3 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-P5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus E-P3 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-P5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Olympus E-P3 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-P5 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
35 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
35 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-P3 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-P5 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
369g
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
420g
Read the details

Olympus E-P3 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-P5 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus E-P3 vs Olympus E-P5: 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 Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 Olympus E-P3 and Olympus E-P5 scores compare:

Olympus E-P3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #57 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #317 out of 1259 in all Cameras
Olympus E-P5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #23 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #165 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Olympus E-P5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus E-P3 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Olympus E-P3. Otherwise, Olympus E-P5 is the better camera overall.

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-P3
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Olympus E-P5
Olympus E-P5
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Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus E-P3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P5
Brand Olympus Olympus
Announced 2011-08-17 2013-10-03
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 224.90mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4032 x 3024 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 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 35 35
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses 121 121
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 614k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) 7.00 m (ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/180s 1/320s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 9.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats AVCHD, Motion JPEG H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 369g 420g
Dimensions 122 x 69 x 34mm 122 x 69 x 37mm
Battery Life 330 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 51 72
DxO Color Depth 20.8 22.8
DxO Dynamic Range 10.1 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO 536 895
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