Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic ZS3

The following is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic ZS3, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the ZS3 (10MP) is fairly close but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was launched 21 months after the ZS3 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-5 grades versus the ZS3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 has exterior dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS3 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic ZS3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-5 against the ZS3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and ZS3 is 58 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions simply by researching technical specs. The picture underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and ZS3.

As you can tell, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-5 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-5 will render greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The more recent E-5 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.