Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-10

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus XZ-10, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both built by Olympus. The resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the XZ-10 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and XZ-10 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was released 6 years prior to the XZ-10 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-3 grades versus the XZ-10 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Olympus Stylus XZ-10. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Olympus XZ-10 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-3 comes with physical dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-10 has sizing of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus XZ-10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-3 against the XZ-10.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and XZ-10 is 56 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing merely by looking at technical specs. The visual here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and XZ-10.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-3 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus XZ-10 will resolve greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.