Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS5

On this page, we will be comparing the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS5, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the ZS5 (12MP) is relatively close but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and ZS5 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the ZS5 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-3 matches up versus the ZS5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 enjoys outside measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS5 has dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

See the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-3 and the ZS5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and ZS5 is 56 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to see the difference in sensor sizes purely by researching technical specs. The pic underneath might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and ZS5.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-3 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS5 will result in greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.