Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3

On this page, we will be comparing the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic ZS3, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and ZS3 (10MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The E-M1 was launched 4 years after the ZS3 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-M1 matches up vs the ZS3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 provides physical measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 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-M1 and Panasonic ZS3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 and the ZS3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and ZS3 is 71 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading technical specs. The picture here will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and ZS3.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.