• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-PM2 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Fast startup
    ~0.70 vs 1.2 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Thinner
    33 mm vs 77 mm
    Thinner
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Olympus E-PM2

  • 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
  • High resolution composite
    Yes vs No
    Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,106 vs 932 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.6 vs 12.2 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Built-in GPS
    GPS vs None
    Geotag your photos
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 720 vs 360 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • Higher-res screen
    346k vs 154k pixels
    More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
  • Less shutter lag
    0.14 vs 0.20 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    24.4 vs 16.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Optional anti-aliasing filter
    Optional vs Fixed
    Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    60 vs 16 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 25600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Both provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • 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
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Internal flash
    Neither provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Olympus E-PM2

Review Excerpt

  • Super compact and lightweight; Excellent image and print quality that rivals much more expensive CSCs and DSLRs; Solid low-light (high ISO) performance; Touchscreen LCD responsive and useful once you get used to it; Speedy and accurate AF on still subjects; Tons of advanced shooting features and customizing options.

  • Maddening menu system; No physical Mode dial; Motion AF not quite up to par; Mediocre HD video quality; No built-in flash (but a small external flash is included).

  • Top-notch image quality; Spectacular detail from Pixel Shift Resolution; Better performance than K-3; Geotag images with no accessories; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Clever on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots

  • No built-in flash strobe; No wireless flash support out of the box; AstroTracer function can be finicky; AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a prosumer DSLR; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic GF2

Olympus E-PM2
Panasonic GF2
  • $1599
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Bigger pixels
  • Tiltable Screen
Pentax K-3 II
Panasonic GF2
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Internal flash

Compared to Panasonic GF3

Olympus E-PM2
Panasonic GF3
  • $1599
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Bigger pixels
  • Internal flash
Pentax K-3 II
Panasonic GF3
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Internal flash

Compared to Panasonic GM5

Olympus E-PM2
Panasonic GM5
  • $1599
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Focus peaking
  • Eye-level viewfinder
Pentax K-3 II
Panasonic GM5
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • In-camera panoramas

Compared to Canon T6i

Olympus E-PM2
Canon T6i
  • $1599
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Thinner
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Pentax K-3 II
Canon T6i
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen

Compared to Pentax KP

Olympus E-PM2
Pentax KP
  • $1599
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Fast startup
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Pentax K-3 II
Pentax KP
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Built-in GPS
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
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