Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
48
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92 Imaging
37 Features
39 Overall
37
Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Introduced February 2008
- Succeeded the Olympus E-1
- Refreshed by Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
- 210g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
- Announced July 2011
- Alternate Name is Lumix DMC-TZ18
- Older Model is Panasonic ZS7
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Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Overview
Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor size.
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The E-3 was launched 4 years before the ZS8 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.
Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a short view of how the E-3 grades vs the ZS8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Panasonic ZS8
E-3 | ZS8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS8 over the Olympus E-3
ZS8 | E-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | July 2011 | ![]() | February 2008 | Fresher by 41 months |
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Panasonic ZS8
E-3 | ZS8 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Identical display resolution |
Touch display | ![]() | Neither contains Touch display |
Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to carry your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 has got exterior dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS8 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-3 against the ZS8.
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Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and ZS8 is 56 and 92 respectively.
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Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it is very tough to envision the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at specifications. The visual underneath will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and ZS8.
To sum up, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-3 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS8 will give extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos way more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.
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Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-3 vs Panasonic ZS8 Specifications
Olympus E-3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus E-3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8 |
Alternative name | - | Lumix DMC-TZ18 |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Introduced | 2008-02-20 | 2011-07-19 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic III | Venus Engine FHD |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 14MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4320 x 3240 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 24-384mm (16.0x) |
Largest aperture | - | f/3.3-5.9 |
Macro focus distance | - | 3cm |
Total lenses | 45 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display tech | - | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 5.0 frames per second | 2.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 13.00 m | 5.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/250 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video format | - | MPEG-4 |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 890 gr (1.96 lbs) | 210 gr (0.46 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 56 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.6 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.5 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 571 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 340 images |
Form of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail cost | $670 | $275 |