Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic TS20

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Panasonic TS20, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and TS20 (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and TS20 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-3 was manufactured 5 years earlier than the TS20 and that is quite a serious difference 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 TS20 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-3 matches up against the TS20 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Panasonic TS20 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 has outside measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Panasonic TS20 has proportions of 101mm x 58mm x 19mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-3 versus Panasonic TS20 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-3 compared to the TS20.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and TS20 is 56 and 95 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reviewing technical specs. The graphic here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and TS20.

As you can tell, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-3 featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic TS20 will deliver extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.