Nikon D3000 vs Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s
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      60
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon D3000 and the Olympus PEN E-PL1s, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Nikon D3000 was introduced in December 2009 and Olympus PEN E-PL1s was introduced in November 2010. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Nikon D3000 Highlights

      • 10.2 MP APS-C CCD Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s Highlights

      • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.7" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1280 x 720 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Nikon D3000
      4. Advantage of Olympus PEN E-PL1s
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon D3000 and Olympus PEN E-PL1s.

      PROS

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz)

      CONS

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.2 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 290 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 62
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Advantage of Nikon D3000

      Nikon D3000
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon D3000 over Olympus PEN E-PL1s.

      Nikon D3000 vs Olympus PEN E-PL1s
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs Micro Four Thirds
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 3.0" vs 2.7"
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/2000 sec
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/200 sec vs 1/160 sec
      Longer Battery Life 500 shots vs 290 shots
      Orientation Sensor vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon D3000.

      Nikon D40
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      APS-C

      6.1 MP

      Nikon D3200
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D3100
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      14 MP

      Nikon D3400
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D3500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D3300
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Olympus E-500
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Nikon Z6 II
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      Full Frame

      24.5 MP

      Nikon D300S
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      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Sony a7S
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      Full Frame

      12.2 MP

      Nikon Z6
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      Full Frame

      24.5 MP

      Sony a7R II
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Advantage of Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN E-PL1s over Nikon D3000.

      Nikon D3000 vs Olympus PEN E-PL1s
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 10.2 Megapixel vs 12 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 1,600 vs 6,400
      Max Image Resolution 3872 x 2592 vs 4032 x 3024
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Live View vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      HDMI Output vs Mini type C
      Built-in Microphone vs Stereo
      Lighter 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz) vs 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus PEN E-PL1s.

      Olympus PEN E-P3
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus PEN E-P1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL9
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.1 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL8
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.1 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL5
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.1 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PM1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus PEN E-P7
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL6
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Olympus PEN-F
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL2
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PL3
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus PEN E-PM2
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.1 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Nikon D3000 Olympus PEN E-PL1s
        Built-in Flash
      WEAKNESSES Nikon D3000 Olympus PEN E-PL1s
        Low Resolution Sensor10.2 Megapixel12 Megapixel
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points1111
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Resolution Screen230k dot230k dot
        Low Max Continuous Shooting3.0 fps3.0 fps
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi via Eye-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life500 shots290 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Nikon D3000 has a 3.0" screen with 230k dot resolution and Olympus PEN E-PL1s has a 2.7" screen with 230k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Nikon D3000 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.80x (0.53x 35mm equivalent) magnification.Olympus PEN E-PL1s does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

      Sensor

      Nikon D3000 features a 10.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.8 mm and a total area of 372.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode. Olympus PEN E-PL1s features a 12 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Nikon D3000 is equipped with EXPEED processor and can take pictures up to 3872 x 2592 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2896 x 1944, 1936 x 1296 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Olympus PEN E-PL1s is equipped with Truepic V processor and can take pictures up to 4032 x 3024 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Nikon D3000 has Nikon F lens mount and Olympus PEN E-PL1s has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Nikon D3000 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus PEN E-PL1s its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Nikon D3000 comes with EN-EL9a battery pack with battery life of 500 shots and Olympus PEN E-PL1s comes with BLS-1 battery pack with battery life of 290 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Nikon D3000 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Olympus PEN E-PL1s has a single SD/SDHC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Nikon D3000 has Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon D3000, and up to 1/2000 sec on Olympus PEN E-PL1s. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Nikon D3000 and 10.00 m on Olympus PEN E-PL1s. They also accept external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Nikon D3000 and 1/160 sec on Olympus PEN E-PL1s.

      Physical Parameters

      Nikon D3000 body has dimensions of 126 x 97 x 64 mm (4.96 x 3.82 x 2.52") and Olympus PEN E-PL1s body has dimensions of 115 x 72 x 42 mm (4.53 x 2.83 x 1.65"). Nikon D3000 weighs 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz) and Olympus PEN E-PL1s weighs 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz).

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      126 mm

      97 mm

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      115 mm

      72 mm

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      97 mm

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      72 mm

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      Size comparisons of Nikon D3000 and Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      Nikon D3000 and Olympus PEN E-PL1s for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      POOR
      53
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 290 shots

      Wildlife Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      POOR
      52
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      61
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 290 shots

      Portrait Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      GOOD
      71
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Street Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      GOOD
      77
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      GOOD
      82
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      GOOD
      79
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 290 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Nikon D3000 and Olympus PEN E-PL1s and give them scores of 55 and 60 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      OVERALL
      55
      OVERALL
      60

      Sensor

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 62
      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      POOR
      53
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Video

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      POOR
      42
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      GOOD
      76
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Nikon D3000

      Olympus PEN E-PL1s

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 536 g (1.18 lb / 18.91 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 290 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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