Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic LX5

In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic LX5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the LX5 (10MP) is fairly well matched but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") feature different sensor size.

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The E-3 was manufactured 4 years before the LX5 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-3 matches up versus the LX5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 comes with outer 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 LX5 has dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic LX5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the E-3 compared to the LX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and LX5 is 56 and 88 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through technical specs. The picture below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and LX5.

As you have seen, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact resolution but different sensor sizes. The E-3 features the larger sensor which should make getting shallower depth of field simpler. The more aged E-3 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.