Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic ZR3

The following is a extensive overview of the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic ZR3, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the ZR3 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and ZR3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizes.

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The E-5 was brought out 13 months after the ZR3 making them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-5 grades vs the ZR3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Panasonic ZR3 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera often, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-5 comes with external measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR3 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic ZR3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-5 against the ZR3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and ZR3 is 58 and 94 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions simply by checking specifications. The pic here will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and ZR3.

To sum up, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-5 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZR3 will give extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The younger E-5 should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.