Canon T3i vs Olympus E-PL3

Canon T3i advantages over Olympus E-PL3

• Less expensive
  $600 vs $700 (MSRP)
  Save money for lenses or accessories
• Tilt-swivel screen
  Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
  Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Eye-level viewfinder
  Eye-level vs Rear display only
  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
• Fast startup
  ~1.50 vs 2.1 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• 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.

  T3i test data on DxO Mark E-PL3 test data on DxO Mark
  793 vs 499 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.

  T3i test data on DxO Mark E-PL3 test data on DxO Mark
  11.5 vs 10.2 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• 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

  440 vs 300 shots
  Capture more photos
• More telephoto lens reach
  216 mm vs 84 mm
  Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
• Internal flash
  Internal flash vs None
  Useful in a pinch for fill flash
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• Higher-res screen
  346k vs 153k 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 pixels
  18.0 vs 12.3 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos