Olympus PEN E-P3 Review

Overall Score

63

Main Features

  • 12 MP Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • 100 - 12800 ISO
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • Electronic (optional) Viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-In Wireless
  • 122 x 69 x 34 mm, 369g.
  • Price Category:
  • Replaced: PEN E-P2
  • Replaced by: PEN E-P5

I want (0) I have (0) I had (0)
Check Price

Olympus PEN E-P3 Overview


First introduced in August, 2011, Olympus PEN E-P3 is a 12 MP Mirrorless with a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sized CMOS sensor. Olympus replaced the older Olympus E-P2 with PEN E-P3. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Olympus E-P3 with Olympus E-P2

Olympus replaced PEN E-P3 with Olympus E-P5. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Olympus E-P3 with Olympus E-P5


Olympus E-P3 comes with a 17.3 x 13 mm CMOS sensor, which has a diagonal of 21.64 mm (0.84").

- Full Frame
- Olympus PEN E-P3

Sensor resolution of Olympus E-P3 ~ 3995 x 3003 pixels.

Olympus E-P3 has Crop Factor: 2.0

The sensor has a surface area of 224.9 mm².

There are approximate 11,996,985 photosites (pixels) on this area.

Olympus E-P3 Series History
Model Year $ Sensor ISO Weight Dimensions
Olympus PEN E-P5 Olympus E-P5 2013 16MP 100 - 25600 420g 122 x 69 x 37mm
Olympus PEN E-P3 Olympus E-P3 2011 12MP 100 - 12800 369g 122 x 69 x 34mm
Olympus PEN E-P2 Olympus E-P2 2010 12MP 100 - 6400 355g 121 x 70 x 36mm
Olympus PEN E-P1 Olympus E-P1 2009 12MP 100 - 6400 355g 121 x 70 x 36mm

Proc and Cons of Olympus E-P3


Get to know this camera closer. Let's look at the features and characteristics of this model. Compare Olympus PEN E-P3 with competitors in entry-level mirrorless cameras.

Pros
Built-in Wireless
Touch Screen
AF Face Detection
12800 Max Native ISO
3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
Manual Focus
369g Light Body
±3 AE Bracketing Range
Focus Bracketing
Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
External Flash
RAW Support
614k dots Screen Resolution
1/4000s Max Shutter Speed
Manual Exposure Mode
35 Focus Points
Flash Sync Port
Cons
No Bluetooth
No Environmental Sealing
Low Battery Life: 330 shots
No Articulating Screen
Slow Continuous Shooting: 614 fps
Type Scores

Olympus PEN E-P3 has an Overall Score of 63/100 and ranked #132 out of 214 in Mirrorless cameras, and ranked #276 out of 1222 in all cameras.

Olympus E-P3 Scores
Imaging score
46
Features score
65
Value for money score
79
Portability score
91
Overall score
63
Average Scores in Entry-Level Mirrorless
Imaging Score
52
Features Score
61
Value For Money Score
76
Portability Score
91
Overall score
63

Physical Dimensions of Olympus E-P3


Olympus PEN E-P3 weighs 369g and has external dimensions of 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8 x 2.72 x 1.34"). Considering that the average weight of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras is 323g, Olympus E-P3 is 46 grams more than the average weight of cameras in this category.

Weight Comparison
Entry-Level Mirrorless Cameras


Olympus E-P3
369g
Average weight
323g
Min weight
180g
Max weight
561g

Thickness Comparison
Entry-Level Mirrorless Cameras


Olympus E-P3
34mm
Average Thickness
40mm
Min Thickness
23mm
Max Thickness
85mm

Here is the front and top view image of Olympus PEN E-P3 with the dimensions:

Olympus PEN E-P3

Size Compared to Major Competitors


Model Weight PEN E-P3 Dimensions PEN E-P3
Olympus PEN E-P5 Olympus E-P5 420 g 369 g 122 x 69 x 37 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus PEN E-PL3 Olympus E-PL3 313 g 369 g 110 x 64 x 37 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus PEN E-PL5 Olympus E-PL5 325 g 369 g 111 x 64 x 38 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus PEN E-P2 Olympus E-P2 355 g 369 g 121 x 70 x 36 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus PEN E-PM2 Olympus E-PM2 269 g 369 g 110 x 64 x 34 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus PEN E-PL6 Olympus E-PL6 325 g 369 g 111 x 64 x 38 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus PEN E-PL7 Olympus E-PL7 357 g 369 g 115 x 67 x 38 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Olympus E-M10 396 g 369 g 119 x 82 x 46 mm 122 x 69 x 34 mm

Specifications of Olympus PEN E-P3


General
Brand Olympus
Model PEN E-P3
Announced August, 2011
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Lens
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds
Manual Focus
Focal Lens Multiplier 2
Number of Lenses 103
Macro Focus Range n/a
Screen
Screen Size 3"
Screen Type Fixed
Screen Resolution 614k pixels
Touch Screen
Live View
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage n/a%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.0
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
Number of Cross Focus Points 0
Photography Features
RAW Support
Min Shutter Speed 1/60 sec
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 10.00
Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels)
External Flash
AE Bracketing
AE Bracketing Range ±3 EV
WB Bracketing
Sensor
Sensor Size Four Thirds
Sensor Type CMOS
Sensor Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm
Sensor Area 224.9 mm²
Sensor Resolution 12 MP
Max Image Resolution 4032 x 3024
Max Native ISO 12800
Min Native ISO 100
Max Boosted ISO 0
Min Boosted ISO 0
Video Features
4K
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
Video Formats AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Timelapse Recording
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
Connectivity
GPS None
Wireless Connectivity Built-In
Bluetooth
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Battery
Battery Life 330 shots
Battery Type Battery Pack
Battery Model BLS-5
Physical
Weight 369 g
Physical Dimensions 122 x 69 x 34 mm
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Shock Proof
Storage
Storage Type SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Storage Slots 1
Other Features
Self Timer
Selfie Friendly

Latest Entry-Level Mirrorless

Olympus E-P7
Olympus E-P7

20MP | Four Thirds CMOS | Micro Four Thirds mount

FujiFilm X-E4
FujiFilm X-E4

26MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X mount

FujiFilm X-S10
FujiFilm X-S10

26MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X mount

Canon M50 Mark II
Canon M50 Mark II

24MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M mount

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV

20MP | Four Thirds CMOS | Micro Four Thirds mount

Panasonic G100
Panasonic G100

20MP | Four Thirds CMOS | Micro Four Thirds mount

Fujifilm X-T200
Fujifilm X-T200

24MP | APS-C CMOS | Fujifilm X mount

Nikon Z50
Nikon Z50

21MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Nikon Z mount

Canon EOS M200
Canon EOS M200

24MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M mount

Fujifilm X-A7
Fujifilm X-A7

24MP | APS-C CMOS | Fujifilm X mount

Latest Mirrorless

Olympus E-P7
Olympus E-P7

20MP | Four Thirds CMOS | Micro Four Thirds mount

Panasonic GH5 II
Panasonic GH5 II

20MP | Four Thirds CMOS | Micro Four Thirds mount

Sigma fp L
Sigma fp L

61MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Leica L mount

FujiFilm GFX 100S
FujiFilm GFX 100S

102MP | Medium format BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm G mount

FujiFilm X-E4
FujiFilm X-E4

26MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X mount

Sony A1
Sony A1

50MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Sony E mount

Leica SL2-S
Leica SL2-S

24MP | Full frame CMOS | Leica L mount

FujiFilm X-S10
FujiFilm X-S10

26MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X mount

Nikon Z6 Mark II
Nikon Z6 Mark II

25MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Nikon Z mount

Canon M50 Mark II
Canon M50 Mark II

24MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M mount