Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Olympus PEN E-PL3 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus PEN E-P3 and the Olympus PEN E-PL3 are both 2011 mirrorless cameras announced on the same day, so neither has an age advantage. They share the Micro 4/3 lens mount, so either body takes the same native lenses. The useful differences are in size, burst rate, screen handling and flash.

The E-PL3 is the smaller and lighter camera for carrying: 110 x 64 x 37 mm and 313 g, against 122 x 69 x 34 mm and 369 g for the E-P3. That makes the E-PL3 the easier fit for a compact kit or a small bag.

The E-PL3 is the stronger choice for photographing moving subjects, because it shoots at 5.5 frames per second against 3 fps on the E-P3. That faster burst gives you more chances to catch a fleeting expression, a child mid-run or a bird taking off, without relying on perfect timing of a single frame.

In-body stabilisation on both bodies steadies handheld shooting, and both use a 12.3 MP CMOS Micro Four Thirds sensor with the TruePic VI processor. The standard ISO range of 200 to 12800, the 35 autofocus points and the 1/4000 second shutter maximum are matching named specifications. Neither has a built-in viewfinder, so composition happens on the rear screen.

Casual family and travel video comes out equally well served here. Both cameras record video, with Full HD as the maximum resolution and 60 fps as the maximum frame rate, saved as AVCHD files. The 60 fps rate allows half-speed slow motion on a 30 fps timeline, useful for slowing a child's run or a wave breaking.

Neither camera offers built-in timelapse recording, so interval work needs external triggering.

The E-P3 offers more direct screen control and ready fill light. Its fixed 3 inch OLED touch screen has 614000 dots, and touch focus lets you tap to place the AF point when shooting at arm's length. The built-in flash lights indoor snapshots without carrying a separate unit.

The E-PL3 instead offers a tilting 3 inch LCD, useful for waist-level street shots or overhead framing at concerts. It has no touch control, and its panel has 460000 dots against 614000 on the E-P3. Both support external flash units and live view, and neither has GPS, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so images come off the camera by removing the card.

The storage specifications match on the named values: both cameras use a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card slot, the same BLS-5 battery, and neither charges over USB. The battery rating differs, with the E-P3 rated at 330 shots against 300 shots for the E-PL3, a 30-shot gap between the ratings.