Olympus E-3 vs Pentax RZ18

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-3 and Pentax RZ18, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and RZ18 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-3 was brought out 4 years earlier than the RZ18 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-3 scores vs the RZ18 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Optio RZ18. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 features external measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Pentax RZ18 has measurements of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 and Pentax RZ18 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-3 compared to the RZ18.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and RZ18 is 56 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to see the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading specs. The photograph below may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and RZ18.

All in all, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-3 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Pentax RZ18 will deliver more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.