Leica V-LUX 1 vs Olympus E-PL3
The Leica V-LUX 1 and the Olympus PEN E-PL3 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in September 2006 and June 2011. The V-LUX 1 is a fixed lens compact, while the E-PL3 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/1.8-inch (V-LUX 1) and a Four Thirds (E-PL3) sensor. The Leica has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the Olympus provides 12.2 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Leica V-LUX 1 and the Olympus PEN E-PL3? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Leica V-LUX 1 and the Olympus E-PL3. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The E-PL3 can be obtained in four different colors (black, silver, red, white), while the V-LUX 1 is only available in black.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-PL3 is considerably smaller (42 percent) than the Leica V-LUX 1. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the V-LUX 1 nor the E-PL3 are weather-sealed.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the V-LUX 1 has a lens built in, whereas the E-PL3 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the E-PL3 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 1 | 141 mm | 86 mm | 142 mm | 734 g | 360 | n | Sep 2006 | EUR 799 | ebay.com | |
2. | Olympus E-PL3 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 37 mm | 313 g | 300 | n | Jun 2011 | EUR 549 | ebay.com | |
3. | Leica D-LUX 5 | 110 mm | 65 mm | 43 mm | 271 g | 400 | n | Sep 2010 | EUR 699 | ebay.com | |
4. | Leica D-LUX 6 | 111 mm | 68 mm | 46 mm | 298 g | 330 | n | Sep 2012 | EUR 699 | ebay.com | |
5. | Leica Q Typ 116 | 130 mm | 80 mm | 93 mm | 640 g | 300 | n | Jun 2015 | EUR 3 999 | ebay.com | |
6. | Leica V-LUX 2 | 124 mm | 80 mm | 95 mm | 520 g | 410 | n | Sep 2010 | EUR 749 | ebay.com | |
7. | Leica V-LUX 3 | 124 mm | 81 mm | 95 mm | 540 g | 410 | n | Dec 2011 | EUR 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | 125 mm | 87 mm | 110 mm | 588 g | 540 | n | Sep 2012 | EUR 799 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica X1 | 124 mm | 60 mm | 32 mm | 306 g | 260 | n | Sep 2009 | EUR 1 549 | ebay.com | |
10. | Leica X Vario | 133 mm | 73 mm | 95 mm | 680 g | 450 | n | Jun 2013 | EUR 2 449 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D80 | 132 mm | 103 mm | 77 mm | 668 g | 600 | n | Aug 2006 | EUR 969 | ebay.com | |
12. | Olympus E-P3 | 122 mm | 69 mm | 34 mm | 369 g | 330 | n | Jun 2011 | EUR 699 | ebay.com | |
13. | Olympus E-PL1 | 115 mm | 72 mm | 42 mm | 334 g | 290 | n | Feb 2010 | EUR 599 | ebay.com | |
14. | Olympus E-PL2 | 114 mm | 72 mm | 42 mm | 362 g | 280 | n | Jan 2011 | EUR 599 | ebay.com | |
15. | Olympus E-PL5 | 111 mm | 64 mm | 38 mm | 325 g | 360 | n | Sep 2012 | EUR 599 | ebay.com | |
16. | Olympus E-PM1 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 34 mm | 265 g | 330 | n | Jun 2011 | EUR 449 | ebay.com | |
17. | Panasonic FZ1000 | 137 mm | 99 mm | 131 mm | 831 g | 360 | n | Jun 2014 | EUR 899 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Leica V-LUX 1 features a 1/1.8-inch sensor and the Olympus E-PL3 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the E-PL3 is 492 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 4.8 and 2.0. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.
With 12.2MP, the E-PL3 offers a higher resolution than the V-LUX 1 (10MP), but the E-PL3 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 1.95μm for the V-LUX 1) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the E-PL3 is a much more recent model (by 4 years and 9 months) than the V-LUX 1, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the V-LUX 1 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-PL3 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-PL3 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 20.2 x 15.1 inches or 51.2 x 38.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 16.1 x 12.1 inches or 41 x 30.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 13.4 x 10.1 inches or 34.1 x 25.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Leica V-LUX 1 are 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm for good quality, 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm for very good quality, and 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm for excellent quality prints.
The Leica V-LUX 1 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600, which can be extended to ISO 100-3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus PEN E-PL3 are ISO 200 to ISO 12800 (no boost).
Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 1 | 1/1.8 | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | 480/30p | 18.4 | 9.5 | -727 | 29 | |
2. | Olympus E-PL3 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 20.9 | 10.3 | 499 | 52 | |
3. | Leica D-LUX 5 | 1/1.7 | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | 720/60p | 19.5 | 10.4 | -583 | 39 | |
4. | Leica D-LUX 6 | 1/1.7 | 10.0 | 3648 | 2736 | 1080/60p | 19.8 | 10.8 | -303 | 43 | |
5. | Leica Q Typ 116 | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.3 | 12.7 | 2221 | 85 | |
6. | Leica V-LUX 2 | 1/2.3 | 14.0 | 4320 | 3240 | 1080/60i | 19.4 | 10.7 | 321 | 39 | |
7. | Leica V-LUX 3 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/60p | 19.7 | 11.0 | 430 | 42 | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 1080/60p | 19.8 | 11.1 | 501 | 43 | |
9. | Leica X1 | APS-C | 12.2 | 4272 | 2856 | none | 22.6 | 11.8 | 1037 | 69 | |
10. | Leica X Vario | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3272 | 1080/30p | 23.4 | 12.7 | 1320 | 78 | |
11. | Nikon D80 | APS-C | 10.0 | 3872 | 2592 | none | 22.1 | 11.2 | 524 | 61 | |
12. | Olympus E-P3 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 20.8 | 10.1 | 536 | 51 | |
13. | Olympus E-PL1 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.5 | 10.1 | 487 | 54 | |
14. | Olympus E-PL2 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 720/30p | 21.4 | 10.2 | 573 | 55 | |
15. | Olympus E-PL5 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.8 | 12.3 | 889 | 72 | |
16. | Olympus E-PM1 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 21.0 | 10.3 | 499 | 52 | |
17. | Panasonic FZ1000 | 1-inch | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 4K/30p | 22.1 | 11.7 | 517 | 64 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the E-PL3 provides a better video resolution than the V-LUX 1. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60i, while the Leica is limited to 480/30p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the V-LUX 1 has an electronic viewfinder (235k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the E-PL3 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the E-PL3 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the VF-2. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica V-LUX 1 and Olympus E-PL3 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.
Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 1 | 235 | n | 2.0 / 207 | tilting | n | 1/2000s | 2.0/s | Y | Y | |
2. | Olympus E-PL3 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 5.5/s | n | Y | |
3. | Leica D-LUX 5 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | Y | |
4. | Leica D-LUX 6 | optional | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | Y | |
5. | Leica Q Typ 116 | 3680 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | Y | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
6. | Leica V-LUX 2 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 11.0/s | Y | Y | |
7. | Leica V-LUX 3 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/2000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | 1312 | n | 3.0 / 460 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
9. | Leica X1 | none | n | 2.7 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
10. | Leica X Vario | optional | n | 3.0 / 920 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
11. | Nikon D80 | optical | n | 2.5 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Olympus E-P3 | optional | n | 3.0 / 614 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
13. | Olympus E-PL1 | optional | n | 2.7 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
14. | Olympus E-PL2 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
15. | Olympus E-PL5 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | n | Y | |
16. | Olympus E-PM1 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.5/s | n | Y | |
17. | Panasonic FZ1000 | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/4000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The V-LUX 1 has one, while the E-PL3 does not. While the built-in flash of the V-LUX 1 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
Both cameras have an articulated rear screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This feature will be particularly appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies.The V-LUX 1 writes its imaging data to SDHC cards, while the E-PL3 uses SDXC cards.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica V-LUX 1 and Olympus PEN E-PL3 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 1 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Olympus E-PL3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
3. | Leica D-LUX 5 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
4. | Leica D-LUX 6 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
5. | Leica Q Typ 116 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
6. | Leica V-LUX 2 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Leica V-LUX 3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Leica X1 | Y | - / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
10. | Leica X Vario | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Nikon D80 | Y | - / - | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
12. | Olympus E-P3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Olympus E-PL1 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Olympus E-PL2 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
15. | Olympus E-PL5 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
16. | Olympus E-PM1 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
17. | Panasonic FZ1000 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - |
Both the V-LUX 1 and the E-PL3 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The V-LUX 1 was replaced by the Leica V-LUX 2, while the E-PL3 was followed by the Olympus E-PL5. Further information on the features and operation of the V-LUX 1 and E-PL3 can be found, respectively, in the Leica V-LUX 1 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-PL3 Manual.
Review summary
So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Leica V-LUX 1 and the Olympus E-PL3? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Advantages of the Leica V-LUX 1:
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
- Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the E-PL3 requires a separate lens.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (360 versus 300) on a single battery charge.
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale price.
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2006).
Arguments in favor of the Olympus PEN E-PL3:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 10MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
- Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
- More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
- Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
- Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (1080/60i vs 480/30p).
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.0") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (460k vs 207k dots).
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5.5 vs 2 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
- More compact: Is smaller (110x64mm vs 141x86mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
- More modern: Reflects 4 years and 9 months of technical progress since the V-LUX 1 launch.
If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-PL3 is the clear winner of the contest (14 : 7 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Leica V-LUX 1 and the Olympus E-PL3 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the V-LUX 1 or the E-PL3 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.
Expert reviews
This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Leica V-LUX 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Sep 2006 | EUR 799 | ebay.com | |
2. | Olympus E-PL3 | 3/5 | + + | .. | 72/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Jun 2011 | EUR 549 | ebay.com | |
3. | Leica D-LUX 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Sep 2010 | EUR 699 | ebay.com | |
4. | Leica D-LUX 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Sep 2012 | EUR 699 | ebay.com | |
5. | Leica Q Typ 116 | 5/5 | .. | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2015 | EUR 3 999 | ebay.com | |
6. | Leica V-LUX 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Sep 2010 | EUR 749 | ebay.com | |
7. | Leica V-LUX 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Dec 2011 | EUR 749 | ebay.com | |
8. | Leica V-LUX 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Sep 2012 | EUR 799 | ebay.com | |
9. | Leica X1 | 3/5 | .. | .. | + | .. | 4/5 | Sep 2009 | EUR 1 549 | ebay.com | |
10. | Leica X Vario | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Jun 2013 | EUR 2 449 | ebay.com | |
11. | Nikon D80 | .. | + | .. | + + | o | 4.5/5 | Aug 2006 | EUR 969 | ebay.com | |
12. | Olympus E-P3 | .. | 83/100 | .. | 74/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2011 | EUR 699 | ebay.com | |
13. | Olympus E-PL1 | .. | 86/100 | .. | 69/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2010 | EUR 599 | ebay.com | |
14. | Olympus E-PL2 | 3/5 | 83/100 | .. | 71/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2011 | EUR 599 | ebay.com | |
15. | Olympus E-PL5 | 3/5 | + + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | EUR 599 | ebay.com | |
16. | Olympus E-PM1 | .. | 86/100 | .. | 71/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2011 | EUR 449 | ebay.com | |
17. | Panasonic FZ1000 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2014 | EUR 899 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.
- Canon M vs Leica V-LUX 1
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- Canon SX50 vs Olympus E-PL3
- Leica TL2 vs Olympus E-PL3
- Leica V-LUX 1 vs Nikon D850
- Leica V-LUX 1 vs Olympus TG-6
- Leica V-LUX 1 vs Panasonic GF3
- Leica V-LUX 1 vs Sigma fp
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- Olympus E-M5 III vs Olympus E-PL3
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Specifications: Leica V-LUX 1 vs Olympus E-PL3
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Leica V-LUX 1 | Olympus E-PL3 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Fixed lens compact camera | Mirrorless system camera |
Camera Lens | 35-420mm f/2.8-3.7 | Micro Four Thirds lenses |
Launch Date | September 2006 | June 2011 |
Launch Price | USD 849 | USD 599 |
Sensor Specs | Leica V-LUX 1 | Olympus E-PL3 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | 1/1.8" Sensor | Four Thirds Sensor |
Sensor Size | 7.14 x 5.36 mm | 17.3 x 13.0 mm |
Sensor Area | 38.2704 mm2 | 224.9 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 8.9 mm | 21.6 mm |
Crop Factor | 4.8x | 2.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 10 Megapixels | 12.2 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 3648 x 2736 pixels | 4032 x 3024 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 1.95 μm | 4.29 μm |
Pixel Density | 26.08 MP/cm2 | 5.42 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | no AA filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 480/30p Video | 1080/60i Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 1,600 ISO | 200 - 12,800 ISO |
ISO Boost | 100 - 3,200 ISO | no Enhancement |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | .. | 52 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | .. | 20.9 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | .. | 10.3 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | .. | 499 |
Screen Specs | Leica V-LUX 1 | Olympus E-PL3 |
Viewfinder Type | Electronic viewfinder | Viewfinder optional |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | |
Viewfinder Resolution | 235k dots | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 2.0inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 207k dots | 460k dots |
LCD Attachment | Tilting screen | Tilting screen |
Shooting Specs | Leica V-LUX 1 | Olympus E-PL3 |
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | Contrast-detect AF |
Continuous Shooting | 2 shutter flaps/s | 5.5 shutter flaps/s |
Image Stabilization | Lens-based stabilization | In-body stabilization |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
Storage Medium | SDHC cards | SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | no | no |
Connectivity Specs | Leica V-LUX 1 | Olympus E-PL3 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | no HDMI | mini HDMI |
Wifi Support | no Wifi | no Wifi |
Body Specs | Leica V-LUX 1 | Olympus E-PL3 |
Battery Type | Leica BP-DC5 | Olympus BLS-5 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 360 shots per charge | 300 shots per charge |
Body Dimensions |
141 x 86 x 142 mm (5.6 x 3.4 x 5.6 in) |
110 x 64 x 37 mm (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.5 in) |
Camera Weight | 734 g (25.9 oz) | 313 g (11.0 oz) |
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