Olympus E-3 vs Pentax RZ10

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-3 and Pentax RZ10, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and RZ10 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and RZ10 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was brought out 4 years earlier than the RZ10 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax RZ10 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a thorough comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-3 scores versus the RZ10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Optio RZ10. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax RZ10 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 has exterior dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Pentax RZ10 has dimensions of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-3 and Pentax RZ10 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-3 and the RZ10.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and RZ10 is 56 and 92 respectively.

Often, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizing simply by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and RZ10.

As you can see, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-3 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax RZ10 will produce more detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older E-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.