Nikon D3S vs Olympus E-PL1

Nikon D3S advantages over Olympus E-PL1

• 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
  ~ 8.46 vs 4.29 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Fast startup
  ~0.30 vs 2.2 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.

  D3S test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  3,253 vs 487 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.

  D3S test data on DxO Mark E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark
  12.0 vs 10.1 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

  4200 vs 290 shots
  Capture more photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• Higher max flash sync
  1/250 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
• More dots on screen
  920k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• Less shutter lag
  0.20 vs 0.95 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Faster JPEG shooting
  9.0 fps vs 3.0 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  90 vs 15 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  102400 vs 3200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility