• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.3 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 12,800
  • 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 42.4 megapixels
  • 35.00mm (35mm eq.)

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-P3 advantages over Sony RX1R II

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Fast startup
    ~0.90 vs 1.5 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 330 vs 220 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Thinner
    34 mm vs 72 mm
    Thinner
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony RX1R II advantages over Olympus E-P3

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • 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
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • 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
    25.8 vs 20.8 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    3,204 vs 536 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.9 vs 10.1 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/2000 vs 1/180 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Newer
    9 years vs 13 years old
    Newer cameras often support more advanced features
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    1229k vs 614k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More pixels
    42.4 vs 12.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Optional anti-aliasing filter
    Optional vs Fixed
    Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    5.0 fps vs 3.1 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    102400 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Rear display
    Both provide
    Review photos on the back of the camera
  • RAW file ability
    Both provide
    Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
  • Manual focus
    Both provide
    AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
  • 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
  • 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
  • Integrated ND filter
    Neither provide
    Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Extremely fast autofocus; Pop-up flash and AF-assist lamp; Full HD recording; wisely limited focus for touchscreen; excellent print quality results; removable grip.

  • Larger than some competitors (see E-PL3 if you prefer a smaller camera); strong noise suppression; touchscreen easily activated by mistake; list of options is overwhelming; shoulder strap D-rings are noisy.

  • Excellent image quality; Extremely high resolution; Surprisingly good high ISO performance; Outstanding dynamic range; Handy variable low-pass filter; Fast phase-detect AF; Built-in EVF.

  • Fixed, single focal length lens; Poor battery life; No built-in flash; No touchscreen LCD; Slow buffer clearing; No 4K video; Expensive.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-P2

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-P2
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
  • $1100
  • 4/3
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Sony RX1R II
Olympus E-P2
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $1100
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Longer stills battery life

Compared to Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-PL2
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • More dots on screen
  • $600
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
Sony RX1R II
Olympus E-PL2
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $600
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Longer stills battery life

Compared to Olympus E-PL3

Olympus E-P3
Olympus E-PL3
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • Internal flash
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Tiltable Screen
Sony RX1R II
Olympus E-PL3
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Longer stills battery life

Compared to Sony RX1

Olympus E-P3
Sony RX1
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Fast startup
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony RX1R II
Sony RX1
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Sony RX1R

Olympus E-P3
Sony RX1R
  • $561
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Fast startup
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony RX1R II
Sony RX1R
  • $3298
  • 35mm
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $2398
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Bigger pixels
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