Both Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus E-PL3 have Four Thirds sized 12.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the E-PL1 and E-PL3 sensor size comparison.
Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus E-PL3 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.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus E-PL3 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, E-PL1 has scored 54, 2 points higher than E-PL3.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Olympus E-PL1 |
54 |
21.5 bits |
10.1 Evs |
487 ISO |
Olympus E-PL3 |
52 |
20.9 bits |
10.3 Evs |
499 ISO |