Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3
71 Imaging
46 Features
50 Overall
47


96 Imaging
39 Features
29 Overall
35
Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 515g - 130 x 94 x 60mm
- Released August 2009
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-250mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
- 126g - 95 x 56 x 22mm
- Announced January 2013

Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Overview
On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-600 (12MP) and SZ3 (16MP) and the E-600 (Four Thirds) and SZ3 (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

The E-600 was revealed 4 years prior to the SZ3 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-600 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ3 being a Compact camera.
Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-600 grades against the SZ3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-600 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-600 Gallery & Panasonic SZ3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-600 over the Panasonic SZ3
E-600 | SZ3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ3 over the Olympus E-600
SZ3 | E-600 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | January 2013 | ![]() | August 2009 | Newer by 40 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-600 and Panasonic SZ3
E-600 | SZ3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display dimensions | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.7" | Equal display size |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | The same display resolution |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither has Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-600 has exterior measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.4") along with a weight of 515 grams (1.14 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ3 has measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-600 compared to the SZ3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-600 and SZ3 is 71 and 96 respectively.

Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The picture underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-600 and SZ3.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-600 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic SZ3 will offer you more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-600 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic SZ3 Specifications
Olympus E-600 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus E-600 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3 |
Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
Released | 2009-08-30 | 2013-01-07 |
Body design | Compact SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic III+ | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 16MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | - |
Highest resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 7 | 23 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 25-250mm (10.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/3.1-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
Available lenses | 45 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
Display size | 2.7 inch | 2.7 inch |
Resolution of display | 230k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.48x | - |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m | 4.10 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Fill-in, Manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/180s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video data format | - | Motion JPEG |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 515g (1.14 pounds) | 126g (0.28 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 94 x 60mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.4") | 95 x 56 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 55 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.5 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 541 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 500 photographs | 250 photographs |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-1 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at launch | $0 | $150 |