Olympus E-30 vs Panasonic ZS3

Following is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic ZS3, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-30 (12MP) and the ZS3 (10MP) is relatively similar but the E-30 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizes.

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The E-30 was launched about the same time to the ZS3 and they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-30 matches up against the ZS3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-30 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-30 Gallery and Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-30 comes with outer dimensions of 142mm x 108mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.3" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 695 grams (1.53 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS3 has dimensions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-30 versus Panasonic ZS3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the E-30 vs the ZS3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-30 and ZS3 is 60 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to imagine the difference between sensor sizes simply by reading specs. The picture here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-30 and ZS3.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-30 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-30 will deliver greater detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively.