Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZR3

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZR3, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the ZR3 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and ZR3 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

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The E-M5 was announced 2 years after the ZR3 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR3 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-M5 scores against the ZR3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Panasonic ZR3 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 has got physical measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR3 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZR3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 versus the ZR3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and ZR3 is 81 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions just by checking out a spec sheet. The picture here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and ZR3.

Clearly, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-M5 will produce more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The newer E-M5 provides an advantage in sensor technology.