Olympus E-P3

Olympus, along with Panasonic, are credited with creating the mirrorless camera category. And like the Panasonic G3, the Olympus E-P3 is a third generation product.

It is also at the top of the Olympus mirrorless lineup, which includes the E-PL and the new petite E-PM series.

As such, the E-P3 is the most expensive Olympus mirrorless model, (currently listed at $899, with a 14-42mm zoom lens).

I like the look and feel of the E-P3 and its performance and image quality stand up well to many of the others in this shootout, but the camera is the priciest of the group. The Nikon V1 (with a lens) retails for about $850, but it includes a built-in electronic viewfinder.

The Good, the Bad and the So-so

The question then is what do you get for the money?

When I pulled the black version of the E-P3 out of the box, I couldn't help admiring the design and styling. The retro look with the silver stripes appeals to me. And from the photos, the silver model reminds me of a sleek sports car.

More importantly, the build feels solid and the layout of the controls is reassuringly familiar for someone coming from a DSLR.

I was disappointed when I realized that there was no handgrip. Then as I was fishing through the box, I discovered a grip that screws on to the body. Even then, I wished it were larger. (I notice that Olympus does offer a larger grip for $20.)

I also wish that the E-P3 had a built-in viewfinder, especially since its touchscreen LCD does not swivel or articulate. You can buy an electronic viewfinder that attaches to the E-P3's hot shoe, which works well but it adds another $250 on to the system cost.

I have read that some enthusiasts are disappointed because Olympus did not upgrade their sensor, using the same one that was in the E-P2. It doesn't really bother me.

We are at a point where sensor technology is advancing past our normal everyday photographic needs. Don't get me wrong, I love to see engineers push the envelope of what a camera can capture. But I'm not ready to dismiss a camera simply because it doesn't have the biggest or the newest sensor.

And as I said, the image quality produced by the E-P3 is quite respectable and I'm a fan of the smooth rich color images originating from its processor.

Though you can see from this PhotoScope side by side with the Panasonic G3 (and its newer, larger Four Thirds sensor), the image quality of the Olympus E-P3 does not compare favorably.

Video quality on the E-P3 is good. Just be sure that you use one of Olympus's Movie+Still Compatible (MSC) lenses which are designed to focus quickly and quietly.

Though Olympus has sped up the auto focus feature in the E-P3, I still find that it searches too long for focus in low light situations. And the camera begins to exhibit noticeable noise above an ISO setting of 800.

Luckily, this Micro Four Thirds type Olympus is compatible with a wide range of lenses including a good selection of fast prime lenses like the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 or the Olympus 12mm f/2.0. Either will give you more flexibility when shooting in dim environments.

And to facilitate shooting with slower shutter speeds, the E-P3 is equipped with In-body Image Stabilization, which works with any of its interchangeable lenses.

Finally, the menus on the E-P3 are overflowing with features that I never use. Happily, since the mode dial includes the essential PASM (Program, Aperture, Shutter and Manual) controls, I rarely have to dive into the menus to operate the camera.

Conclusion

The Olympus E-P3 supplies many of the essentials that I desire in a camera including good image quality, an easy to manipulate layout of controls, and a wide array of lenses. Alas, for the money, I expect a built-in viewfinder and better low light performance.

The E-P3 is a good mirrorless camera choice, especially if you already have invested in Micro Four Thirds lenses. It just simply doesn't measure up to the Sony NEX-5N.

Olympus E-P3 Photo Gallery

More about the Olympus EP3

Olympus EP3 spec sheet

Compare the Olympus EP3 to the Competition