Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS50

The following is a extensive overview of the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS50, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the ZS50 (12MP) is very similar but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and ZS50 (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was manufactured 7 years prior to the ZS50 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-3 matches up versus the ZS50 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 provides outer dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS50 has specifications of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS50 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-3 and the ZS50.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and ZS50 is 56 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading specs. The picture underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and ZS50.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-3 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS50 will offer more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.