Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FX580

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FX580, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the FX580 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and FX580 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was manufactured 11 months earlier than the FX580 and they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-3 scores against the FX580 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Panasonic FX580 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 provides physical measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Panasonic FX580 has specifications of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FX580 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-3 vs the FX580.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and FX580 is 56 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual underneath should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and FX580.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-3 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FX580 will produce more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-3 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.