Olympus PEN E-P3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC GH1 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus PEN E-P3 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC GH1 are both mirrorless cameras built on the Micro Four Thirds format, so native lenses fit either body. The E-P3 arrived in 2011, two years after the 2009 GH1.

The GH1 is the larger body at 124 x 90 x 45 mm against the E-P3's 122 x 69 x 34 mm, and it weighs 385 g against the E-P3's 369 g. That extra depth and height house the GH1's built-in viewfinder, while the E-P3 stays the slimmer, lighter carry.

The GH1 is the better pick for eye-level shooting, because it has a built-in electronic viewfinder with 1,440,000 dots while the E-P3 has none. On the E-P3 you compose on the rear screen instead.

The E-P3 answers with broader focusing coverage, offering 35 autofocus points against the GH1's 23, and a native ISO ceiling of 12800 against 3200. Resolution is a near match at 12.3 versus 12.1 megapixels, and both pair a CMOS Micro Four Thirds sensor with in-body stabilisation for handheld work.

The E-P3 supports video recording, while the GH1 does not, so the E-P3 is the dependable pick if you want to shoot clips. The stated limits match at Full HD resolution and a 60 fps frame-rate ceiling, and neither offers a built-in timelapse mode.

The file formats also differ. The E-P3 records in AVCHD, while the GH1's options include AVCHD and MP4 with two-channel AAC audio, a second wrapper that suits quick clips destined for simple playback and editing.

The E-P3 gives you faster on-screen control: its 3-inch OLED screen supports touch, so you can tap to place the focus point, and it has 614,000 dots against the GH1's 460,000-dot LCD. That sharper, touch-driven display suits run-and-gun framing.

The GH1 answers with an articulating screen that flips out for waist-level and overhead framing, which the E-P3's fixed screen cannot do. Both have a built-in flash and support an external flash, while neither offers GPS, weather sealing, WiFi or Bluetooth.

The E-P3 is the safer long-day storage choice: it accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, while the GH1 handles only SD and SDHC. SDXC support lets the E-P3 take the higher-capacity cards useful for a full day of stills and clips.

Battery ratings are close, with the E-P3 rated at 330 shots against 320 for the GH1 under their respective test conditions. Neither body has dual card slots or USB charging, so both mean one card and an external charger.