Please help with some advice. I am no better than a reasonable photographer but am in the position of buying an e-p3 or e-m5 shortly, if it is the e-p3 then I will invest in an olympus 45mm as well, if it is the e-m5 then I will leave it there for a time ... but which one should I buy?

I like the pen retro styling but wonder if that is a good enough reason to buy that over the e-m5. Looks apart what else should I take into account?

Thanks in advance for the advice

There are quite a few differences between the E-P3 and the E-M5, but the biggest and most obvious from a usability standpoint is the built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). If an EVF is an important feature to you, then you should strongly consider the E-M5, but if you are comfortable composing your shots using the LCD, then I feel like the E-P3 + 45mm will be a better choice.

Yes, there are many other benefits of the E-M5 (better sensor with improved low light/ high ISO performance, 5-axis IBIS, weather sealing, articulating display, faster burst mode, etc.) but to me when considering the two, the first thing you have to decide is the value of the EVF.

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Criticism (no matter how harsh) is welcomed of ANY and ALL images I post.

IMO the EVF and weather sealing are the only pivotal changes in the E-M5. You buy it for those two things, everything else is just bonus.

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Olympus E-M5, Sony A65, lenses.

I have a evf 2 I bought for my e-pl1 so the viewfinder isn't an issue

unless you're a pixel peeper, if the EVF doesn't matter, you're better off investing in the nice glass and getting the E-P3. If I showed you 2 shots, one taken with the E-P3 and another taken with the E-M5, I'm quite sure you'd be happy with either. But the things you can do with the 45mm lens, can not be done with the kit lens....regardless of body.

I have an evf-3 on my E-P3 w/Oly 45mm and find it to be a quite versatile setup (and fun to use, too). This camera replaced my Fuji X100.

I'm in the same boat. BUt I have E-pl1 with whole bunch of native lenses and EVF. I want to upgrade but I dont know if I should pay more for the OM-D or get really good deal on rest of the bodies ie. E-p3 or e-pm1 (for size). I always loved the detail of images from the GH-2 and Olympus finally has that in their lineup with the OM-D. But the price!!

I feel there is huge difference in image detail when I compare the photos plus the new IBIS really helps. Built in EVF is plus and makes the overall size smaller. But you are pay atleast 50% more for upgrade with OM-D.

Decisions, Decisions

P.S. Sorry I was no help to your question. lol

Maybe we should start a self help group. Seriously, all the replies are helpful because they add to my own thinking ... woolly as it is.

i have both cameras and here are a few functional differences i noticed. em5 has better quality results at high ISO settings, the CTR mode on auto focus appears to be improved over the ep3 and my 4/3 50-200 and 14-54 are easier to handle.

frank

I'm going to dissent with most of the replies here. I think the image quality of the E-M5 is much better than the E-P3. 16MP, better high ISO, and better dynamic range. Hard to see why getting the E-M5 is not the obvious choice. On top of that, weather sealing, EVF, dual dials for better controls, and the ability to add an optional grip if you like both for handling and more battery capacity. For me, I would never chose the E-P3 over the E-M5 (FYI I had an E-P1 when they first came out).

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Olympus OM-D E-M5, Olympus 12-50mm, Olympus 45mm, Olympus FL-300R