| Type | Micro Four Thirds, interchangeable lens camera |
|---|---|
| Sensor | Four Thirds System 18.00 × 13.50 mm Live MOS |
| Maximum resolution | 4032×3024 (12.3 megapixels) |
| Lens | Micro Four Thirds System mount |
| Flash | Built-in pop up, TTL, GN 10.5m equivalent (ISO100 · m); hotshoe for external flash attachment |
| Shutter | 1/4,000 to 60 s, 30 minutes bulb |
| Exposure metering | Digital ESP metering, Centre weighted average metering, Spot metering |
| Exposure modes | Program, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, manual |
| Metering modes | TTL ESP multi patterned (324-area multi pattern metering), Center-weighted average, Spot (1%) |
| Focus areas | 11 area contrast detect auto-focus, selectable |
| Focus modes | Single, continuous, manual |
| Continuous shooting | 3 frame/s |
| Viewfinder | live preview, optional electronic viewfinder VF-2; optional electronic viewfinder VF-3; optional optical viewfinder VF-1 |
| ASA/ISO range | ISO 200–12800 |
| Rear LCD monitor | 3" 614K dots OLED LCD on screen with live preview with capacitive touchscreen control |
| Storage | Secure Digital card; SDHC; SDXC |
| Battery | Olympus BLS-1 or BLS-5 Lithium-ion battery |
| Dimensions | 122 × 69.1 × 34.3 mm (4.8" × 2.72" × 1.35") |
| Weight | 321 g (11.3 oz) (body only) 369 g (13.0 oz) (body, battery and SD memory card) |
| Footnotes | Optional, exchangeable grips are available for right side of body |
The Olympus PEN E-PL3 announced on June 30, 2011 [1] is Olympus Corporation's seventh camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system design standard. The E-PL3 succeeds the Olympus PEN E-PL2, and was announced in concert with two other models, the Olympus PEN E-P3 (the flagship version), and the Olympus PEN E-PM1 (a new "Mini" version of the PEN camera line with similar features to the E-PL3). The E-PL3 is commonly said to be the "Lite" (less full featured) version of the E-P3, much as the E-PL1 and E-PL2 were "Lite" versions of the E-P1 and E-P2, respectively.
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The E-PL3 addresses some of the concerns that critics had about previous PEN models, notably, slow handling, due to slow autofocus speed and difficulty seeing the LCD panel under certain (e.g., bright, sunny) conditions.
The E-PL3 increases autofocus speed through use of a 120 Hz refresh rate for its sensor, similar to the technology used in the recently released Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and G3 cameras. Olympus claims, based on in-house testing, that the E-PL3, along with its E-PM1 cousin, have similar characteristics to the flagship E-P3, which according to Olympus has the world's fastest autofocus speed of any camera as of the product announcement date.[2] The benefits of the 120 Hz refresh rate also provides the ability for continuous autofocus tracking during bursts of exposures, a faster shutter response (less lag) and less blackout time between exposures.
The E-PL3 lacks the E-P3 capacitive touchscreen for creative camera control, and the E-P3 OLED type display that is suppposed to vastly improve performance in sunny conditions, and off-angle viewing. Instead, the E-PL3 has a tiltable LCD, which allows easy above the head, waist level, or low off the ground viewing. The E-PL3 continues with the proprietary Accessory Port, a power and communication port, which allows the use of various accessories, such as an external stereo microphone for HD video recording, LED macro lights, and a bluetooth communications adapter. The accessory port continues to be compatible with the high resolution, optional hotshoe mounted VF-2 electronic viewfinder (EVF).
The VF-2 had a flip angle eyepiece, allowing viewing from 0–90 degrees. The VF-2 had been criticized for being very expensive and for not having a locking device, with some users reporting easy dislodgement of the VF-2 from the hotshoe. To address these criticisms, in July 2011, Olympus announced the introduction of an optional VF-3 EVF, which has a lower resolution and a locking device.
| Item | Model | Sensor | Electronic View Finder (EVF) | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effective) | EVF; 1.4x magnification; 1.44M dots | 2008, October [4] |
| 2 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 | 4:3; 3:2; 16:9 (multi-aspect); 14.0 mp (12.1 mp effect) | EVF; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots | 2009, April [5] |
| 3 | Olympus PEN E-P1 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | optional hotshoe optical VF-1; 65 degree AOV | 2009, July [6] |
| 4 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF LVF1; 1.04x mag; 202K dots | 2009, September [7] |
| 5 | Olympus PEN E-P2 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2009, November [8] |
| 6 | Olympus PEN E-PL1 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2010, February [9] |
| 7 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) | EVF; 1.04x magnification; 202K dots | 2010, March [10] |
| 8 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) | EVF; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots | 2010, March [11] |
| 9 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 | 4:3; 3:2; 16:9 (multi-aspect); 18.3 mp (16.0 mp effect) | EVF; 1.42x mag; 1.53M dots | 2010, September [12] |
| 10 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF; 1.04x mag; 202K dots | 2010, November [13] |
| 11 | Olympus PEN E-PL1s | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2010, November [14] |
| 12 | Olympus PEN E-PL2 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2011, January [15] |
| 13 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 | 4:3 / 16.6 mp (15.8 mp effect) | EVF; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots | 2011, May [16] |
| 14 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.1 mp effect) | N/A | 2011, June [17] |
| 15 | Olympus PEN E-P3 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2011, June[18] |
| 16 | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2011, June[19] |
| 17 | Olympus PEN E-PM1 | 4:3 / 13.1 mp (12.3 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF VF-2; 1.15x mag; 1.44M dots | 2011, June[20] |
| 18 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 | 4:3 / 16.6 mp (16.0 mp effect) | opt hotshoe EVF LVF2; 1.4x mag; 1.44M dots | 2011, November[21] |
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Olympus_E-P3 Olympus E-P3] at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Olympus PEN EP-1 |
Olympus PEN Micro Four Thirds System cameras November 2008–present |
Succeeded by Olympus PEN EP-3 |