Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS3

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS3, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and ZS3 (10MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-M5 was unveiled 3 years after the ZS3 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-M5 scores versus the ZS3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 has got external dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS3 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 compared to the ZS3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and ZS3 is 81 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions simply by going over specs. The picture here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and ZS3.

All in all, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 using its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will deliver extra detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The newer E-M5 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.