Olympus E-3 vs Olympus SZ-15

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus SZ-15, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are designed by Olympus. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-3 was unveiled 6 years earlier than the SZ-15 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-3 grades against the SZ-15 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 & Olympus SZ-15. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 offers outside dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-15 has measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus SZ-15 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-3 and the SZ-15.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and SZ-15 is 56 and 88 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading through technical specs. The picture underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and SZ-15.

As you have seen, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-3 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus SZ-15 will give greater detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.