Olympus E-P5 vs Canon EOS M3

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Olympus E-P5 vs Canon EOS M3

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

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-P5 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-P5.

APS-C 332.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Canon EOS M3 Review.
How does it shoot? Canon EOS M3 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the EOS M3.
Compare Canon EOS M3 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon EOS M3 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-P7
Compare E-P5 vs E-P7

Succeeded by the Canon EOS M6
Compare EOS M3 vs EOS M6

Compare OLYMPUS E-P7 vs CANON EOS M6

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Differences

Olympus E-P5 advantages over Canon EOS M3

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
Fast startup
~0.90 vs 2.4 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

330 vs 250 shots
Capture more photos
Higher max flash sync
1/320 vs 1/200 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 4.2 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.9 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
18 vs 4 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Canon EOS M3 advantages over Olympus E-P5

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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.
EOS M3 test data on DxO Mark E-P5 test data on DxO Mark

1,169 vs 895 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
More telephoto lens reach
88 mm vs 34 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
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
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Wider angle kit lens
29 mm vs 34 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 16 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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
Eye-level viewfinder
Neither provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
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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Read E-P5 User Reviews

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Read EOS M3 User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 17mm Lens

All E-P5 Deals

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Buy the Canon EOS M3

Body Only (Black)

Body Only (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm and 55-200mm lens (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm lens (Black)
Kit with 18-55mm lens (White)

All EOS M3 Deals

Review Excerpt

Handsome retro styling; Very good image quality and dynamic range, with competitive high ISO performance; Lightning fast autofocusing; Excellent burst speeds (nearly 10fps at full res); Top shutter speed of 1/8000 second; Sharp, bright 17mm f/1.8 kit lens; 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 1.04M dots of resolution.
Heavier than some mirrorless models; Weak flash; Below average battery life; No built-in viewfinder (but EVF available in a kit or for separate purchase); A bit pricey compared to the similar E-M5, which offers a built-in EVF and weather sealing at about the same price.
Read our Olympus E-P5 Review

DSLR image quality & resolution in a mirrorless body; Higher-res 24MP APS-C sensor; Much improved AF performance; Better ergonomics with full PASM dial; Built-in Wi-Fi & NFC; Tilting LCD.
No built-in EVF; Limited native lens selection; Slow burst mode; Shallow buffer depth with RAW files; No 60p video frame rate or 4K video option.
Read our Canon EOS M3 Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-P3

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

$561
4/3

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus E-P3

Canon EOS M3

Olympus E-P3

$700
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$561
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon EOS M3 vs Olympus E-P3

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-M5

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
Built-in Wi-Fi

$900
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus E-M5

Canon EOS M3

Olympus E-M5

$700
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$900
4/3

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon EOS M3 vs Olympus E-M5

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-P5

Panasonic GX7

$1249
4/3

Higher effective ISO
Thinner

$648
4/3

Less expensive
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic GX7

Canon EOS M3

Panasonic GX7

$700
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

$648
4/3

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Canon EOS M3 vs Panasonic GX7

Compared to Samsung NX3000

Olympus E-P5

Samsung NX3000

$1249
4/3

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$950
APS-C

Larger sensor
Less expensive

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Samsung NX3000

Canon EOS M3

Samsung NX3000

$700
APS-C

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

$950
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon EOS M3 vs Samsung NX3000

Compared to Fujifilm X-E3

Olympus E-P5

Fujifilm X-E3

$1249
4/3

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Fujifilm X-E3

Canon EOS M3

Fujifilm X-E3

$700
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
NFC

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

Compare Canon EOS M3 vs Fujifilm X-E3

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