Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FZ1000

In this article, we are reviewing the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic FZ1000, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and FZ1000 (20MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 (1") enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The E-3 was launched 7 years before the FZ1000 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-3 scores versus the FZ1000 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 has got exterior dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ1000 has measurements of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") and a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

See the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic FZ1000 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-3 against the FZ1000.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and FZ1000 is 56 and 55 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing merely by viewing technical specs. The photograph below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and FZ1000.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-3 featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ1000 will render greater detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-3 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.