Olympus E-PL3 vs Ricoh GR

Ricoh GR advantages over Olympus E-PL3

• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Fast startup
  ~1.60 vs 2.1 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  GR test data on DxO Mark E-PL3 test data on DxO Mark
  23.6 vs 20.9 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• 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.

  GR test data on DxO Mark E-PL3 test data on DxO Mark
  972 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.

  GR test data on DxO Mark E-PL3 test data on DxO Mark
  13.5 vs 10.2 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Internal flash
  Internal flash vs None
  Useful in a pinch for fill flash
• Integrated ND filter
  Yes vs No
  Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
• Higher max flash sync
  1/4000 vs 1/160 sec
  Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• Higher-res screen
  307k 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
  16.2 vs 12.3 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Lacks anti-aliasing filter
  No Filter vs Filter
  Enjoy sharper photos
• Longer exposure
  300 vs 60 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  Unlimited vs 9 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 12800 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility