Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A7 III

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Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A7 III

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

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-PL9 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-PL9.

35mm 847.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 III.
Compare Sony A7 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 III conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-PL10
Compare E-PL9 vs E-PL10

Succeeded by the Sony A7 IV
Compare A7 III vs A7 IV

Compare OLYMPUS E-PL10 vs SONY A7 IV

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Differences

Olympus E-PL9 advantages over Sony A7 III

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
More telephoto lens reach
84 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Thinner
39 mm vs 73 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
473g vs 945g
Lighter weight
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 163 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A7 III advantages over Olympus E-PL9

Larger sensor
35mm 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
Bigger pixels
~ 5.93 vs 3.75 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Longer video battery life
115 vs 80 minutes
Capture more video
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

710 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 8.6 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.7 fps vs 8.6 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
33 vs 14 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
204800 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
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
Built-in Bluetooth
Both provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
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
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-PL9 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 III User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

We haven’t finished our review of the Olympus E-PL9, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
Read our Olympus E-PL9 Shooter's Report

New 24MP sensor offers excellent image quality; Outstanding high ISO performance and dynamic range; Improved JPEG colors; Improved build quality; Fast autofocus; Excellent 4K video; Very good battery life.
Buffer clearing can be slow even with fast UHS-II cards; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No losslessly compressed RAW option; Dedicated battery charger not included; Menus are still confusing; No built-in flash.
Read our Sony A7 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic GX85

Olympus E-PL9

Panasonic GX85

$700
4/3

Built-in Bluetooth
Longer stills battery life

$598
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
Lacks anti-aliasing filter

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic GX85

Sony A7 III

Panasonic GX85

$1531
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$598
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 III vs Panasonic GX85

Compared to Olympus E-PL8

Olympus E-PL9

Olympus E-PL8

$700
4/3

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

$599
4/3

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus E-PL8

Sony A7 III

Olympus E-PL8

$1531
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$599
4/3

Lens selection
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony A7 III vs Olympus E-PL8

Compared to Nikon Z6

Olympus E-PL9

Nikon Z6

$700
4/3

In-camera panoramas
More telephoto lens reach

$1396
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon Z6

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1396
35mm

Top deck display
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6

Compared to Olympus E-PL10

Olympus E-PL9

Olympus E-PL10

$700
4/3

$549
4/3

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus E-PL10

Sony A7 III

Olympus E-PL10

$1531
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$549
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7 III vs Olympus E-PL10

Compared to Nikon Z6 II

Olympus E-PL9

Nikon Z6 II

$700
4/3

In-camera panoramas
More telephoto lens reach

$1747
35mm

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-PL9 vs Nikon Z6 II

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6 II

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1747
35mm

Top deck display
Newer

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6 II

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