• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.3 megapixels
  •  
  • APS-C 369.0mm2
  • 20.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

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Differences

Olympus E-PM1 advantages over Samsung NX300

  • Less expensive
    $500 vs $800 (MSRP)
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Limited
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Lighter weight
    382g vs 549g
    Lighter weight
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Samsung NX300 advantages over Olympus E-PM1

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Fast startup
    ~1.20 vs 1.8 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • Better color depth
    23.6 vs 20.9 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    942 vs 499 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    12.7 vs 10.3 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    768k vs 460k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • Less shutter lag
    0.12 vs 0.25 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    20.3 vs 12.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    8.1 fps vs 5.3 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    14 vs 9 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster shutter
    1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Neither provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Internal flash
    Neither provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • External Mic Jack
    Neither provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Review Excerpt

  • Stylish "retro modern" design in two color schemes; attractive 3.3-inch AMOLED tilting touchscreen; new APS-C CMOS sensor with on-chip phase detection AF; better image quality, particularly in low light at high ISOs; faster all-around performance; improved Wi-Fi connectivity.

  • Camera feels more plasticky than expected when you pick it up; slower shot-to-speeds compared to rivals; poor buffer depth with raw files; aggressive anti-noise processing destroys detail in high ISO shots; display smudges easily and is rather dim; no EVF support.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-PL3

Olympus E-PM1
Olympus E-PL3
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
Samsung NX300
Olympus E-PL3
  • $1200
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Sony NEX-7

Olympus E-PM1
Sony NEX-7
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Lens selection
  • $1248
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Samsung NX300
Sony NEX-7
  • $1200
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
  • $1248
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Eye-level viewfinder

Compared to Panasonic GF3X

Olympus E-PM1
Panasonic GF3X
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Internal flash
Samsung NX300
Panasonic GF3X
  • $1200
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Internal flash

Compared to Panasonic GF5

Olympus E-PM1
Panasonic GF5
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Hot shoe
  • $430
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Higher effective ISO
Samsung NX300
Panasonic GF5
  • $1200
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $430
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Internal flash

Compared to Fujifilm X-E2

Olympus E-PM1
Fujifilm X-E2
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Lens selection
  • $1059
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Samsung NX300
Fujifilm X-E2
  • $1200
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
  • $1059
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Eye-level viewfinder
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