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Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3

Portability
71
Imaging
53
Features
85
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 front
Portability
91
Imaging
33
Features
30
Overall
31

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
  • Launched October 2013
  • Successor is Olympus E-M1 II
Panasonic ZS3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-300mm (F3.3-4.9) lens
  • 229g - 103 x 60 x 33mm
  • Announced May 2009
  • Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ7
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Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Overview

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.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Panasonic ZS3

 E-M1 ZS3 
AnnouncedOctober 2013May 2009Newer by 55 months
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1037k460kCrisper screen (+577k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS3 over the Olympus E-M1

 ZS3 E-M1 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic ZS3

 E-M1 ZS3 
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen size
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 size comparison

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

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Sensor Comparison

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.

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Portrait photography details
Panasonic ZS3 Portrait photography details
71
has manual focus
flash sync speed is above average (1/320s)
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focus
delivers RAW files
19
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Street photography factors
Panasonic ZS3 Street photography factors
78
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
offers touch focus
weather proofing
lighter than competition (497g)
very good ISO range (25,600)
60
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than others (229 grams)
screen is fixed
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Sports photography advice
Panasonic ZS3 Sports photography advice
70
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
weather proofing
sensor has phase detect auto focus
terrible battery life (350 per charge)
24
has image stabilization (Optical)
max fps low (2.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic ZS3 as a Travel photography camera
65
lighter than competition (497 grams)
weather proofing
offers touch focus
good MP (16 megapixels)
terrible battery life (350 shots)
does not contain selfie friendly display
63
lighter than others (229 grams)
has built in flash
pretty wide (25mm)
long reach (300mm)
no Time Lapse recording
low megapixels (10MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Landscape photography details
Panasonic ZS3 Landscape photography details
73
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
very good ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW files
weather proofing
terrible battery life (350 per charge)
35
pretty wide (25mm)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
lack of manual exposure
low megapixels (10MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
no Time Lapse recording
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 Vlogging features
Panasonic ZS3 Vlogging features
36
screen is touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes mic port
lighter than competition (497 grams)
does not contain selfie friendly display
30
pretty wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than others (229g)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
no mic port
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Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic ZS3
 Olympus OM-D E-M1Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Alternative name - Lumix DMC-TZ7
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Launched 2013-10-28 2009-05-14
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePIC VII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 3648 x 2736
Max native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 81 11
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-300mm (12.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.3-4.9
Macro focusing distance - 3cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.9
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 60s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Continuous shutter speed 10.0fps 2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 5.30 m (Auto ISO)
Flash options Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/320s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG AVCHD Lite
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In 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 497 grams (1.10 pounds) 229 grams (0.50 pounds)
Physical dimensions 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") 103 x 60 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.7 not tested
DXO Low light rating 757 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 images -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Launch cost $799 $200