Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic FZ80

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Panasonic FZ80, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-3 was brought out 10 years earlier than the FZ80 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-3 matches up vs the FZ80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 provides physical measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ80 has measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Olympus E-3 versus Panasonic FZ80 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-3 vs the FZ80.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and FZ80 is 56 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes only by going over technical specs. The pic underneath should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and FZ80.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-3 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will offer you greater detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.