• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.3 megapixels
  •  
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-PL3 advantages over Sony A6000

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony A6000 advantages over Olympus E-PL3

  • 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.
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Better color depth
    24.1 vs 20.9 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,347 vs 499 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.1 vs 10.2 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 360 vs 300 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • 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
  • Less shutter lag
    0.15 vs 0.24 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    24.3 vs 12.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Wider angle kit lens
    24 mm vs 28 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    11.1 fps vs 5.3 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    47 vs 9 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Tiltable Screen
    Both provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • 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

  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • 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
  • 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

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Amazing image quality for the price; Blazing-fast hybrid autofocus; Swift burst shooting with generous buffer depths; Good battery life with LCD monitor; More compact than a DSLR; In-camera Wi-Fi wireless networking

  • Continuous autofocus can't match its burst rate; High-ISO JPEGs can look overprocessed; Sluggish startup; No touch-screen display; Wi-Fi can be a bit frustrating to use

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-PL3
Olympus E-P3
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • Internal flash
Sony A6000
Olympus E-P3
  • $548
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Olympus E-PM1

Olympus E-PL3
Olympus E-PM1
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
Sony A6000
Olympus E-PM1
  • $548
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compared to Panasonic GF5

Olympus E-PL3
Panasonic GF5
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Fast startup
Sony A6000
Panasonic GF5
  • $548
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Samsung NX3000

Olympus E-PL3
Samsung NX3000
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $950
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Less expensive
Sony A6000
Samsung NX3000
  • $548
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $950
  • APS-C
  • Slow-motion videos

Compared to Sony A6300

Olympus E-PL3
Sony A6300
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $748
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A6000
Sony A6300
  • $548
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • $748
  • APS-C
  • Shoot 4K video
  • Fast startup
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