Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic LF1

The following is a thorough review of the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic LF1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the LF1 (12MP) is very similar but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and LF1 (1/1.7") have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was launched 6 years earlier than the LF1 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LF1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-3 grades vs the LF1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Panasonic LF1 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 enjoys exterior 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 Panasonic LF1 has specifications of 103mm x 62mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 192 grams (0.42 lbs).

See the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic LF1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-3 against the LF1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and LF1 is 56 and 92 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to envision the gap between sensor dimensions just by reading specifications. The picture underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and LF1.

Plainly, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-3 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic LF1 will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.