Canon T3 vs Olympus E-M10

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Canon T3 vs Olympus E-M10

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APS-C 323.4mm²
12.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon T3 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the T3.

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-M10 Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-M10 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-M10.
Compare Olympus E-M10 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-M10 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon T5
Compare T3 vs T5

Succeeded by the Olympus E-M10 II
Compare E-M10 vs E-M10 II

Compare CANON T5 vs OLYMPUS E-M10 II

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Differences

Canon T3 advantages over Olympus E-M10

Less expensive
$600 vs $800 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.15 vs 3.75 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.30 vs 1.3 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

700 vs 320 shots
Capture more photos
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos

Olympus E-M10 advantages over Canon T3

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
E-M10 test data on DxO Mark T3 test data on DxO Mark

884 vs 755 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
E-M10 test data on DxO Mark T3 test data on DxO Mark

12.3 vs 11.0 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Thinner
45 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
515g vs 702g
Lighter weight
Higher-res screen
346k vs 77k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.58x vs 0.50x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
16.1 vs 12.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
8.1 fps vs 2.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.1 fps vs 2.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
15 vs 3 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 6400 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read T3 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-M10 User Reviews

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Buy the Canon T3

Kit with 18-55mm lens

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Buy the Olympus E-M10

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 14-42mm Lens

Review Excerpt

Well-considered ergonomics and control layout; Solid build; Good image quality; Great battery life; High-def movie capture.
Frame rate and burst depth not the best, especially for raw; Weak flash for an SLR; No sensor cleaning function; No spot metering.
Read our Canon T3 Full Review

Great image quality especially from RAW files; Excellent dynamic range for a Four Thirds sensor; Very good high ISO performance; Realistic colors and excellent hue accuracy; Built-in Wi-Fi with remote control and sharing features; Improved HD video; Lightweight and very portable; Built-in pop-up flash; Minimal EVF lag time.
Contrast-Detect AF struggles with small and low-contrast subjects; Mediocre battery life; No external microphone or headphone jack; Mediocre burst speed with continuous AF; No weather sealing; Heavy-handed high ISO noise reduction.
Read our Olympus E-M10 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony DSLR-A230

Canon T3

Sony DSLR-A230

$199
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$549
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon T3 vs Sony DSLR-A230

Olympus E-M10

Sony DSLR-A230

$399
4/3

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Sony DSLR-A230

Compared to Nikon D3100

Canon T3

Nikon D3100

$199
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$700
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon T3 vs Nikon D3100

Olympus E-M10

Nikon D3100

$399
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$700
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Nikon D3100

Compared to Sony A37

Canon T3

Sony A37

$199
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$600
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T3 vs Sony A37

Olympus E-M10

Sony A37

$399
4/3

Lens selection
Touchscreen

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Sony A37

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Canon T3

Panasonic GX7

$199
APS-C

Larger sensor
Less expensive

$648
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon T3 vs Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M10

Panasonic GX7

$399
4/3

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Fast startup

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic GX7

Compared to Olympus E-M10 II

Canon T3

Olympus E-M10 II

$199
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$349
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon T3 vs Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10

Olympus E-M10 II

$399
4/3

$349
4/3

Fast startup
Shoots 24p video

Compare Olympus E-M10 vs Olympus E-M10 II

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