Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic SZ3
86 Imaging
46 Features
42 Overall
44
96 Imaging
39 Features
29 Overall
35
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic SZ3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 355g - 121 x 70 x 36mm
- Released July 2009
- Updated by Olympus E-P2
(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
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On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic SZ3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and SZ3 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and SZ3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe E-P1 was launched 4 years before the SZ3 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ3 being a Compact camera.
Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-P1 grades versus the SZ3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic SZ3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P1 over the Panasonic SZ3
| E-P1 | SZ3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial accurate focusing | |||
| Display dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ3 over the Olympus E-P1
| SZ3 | E-P1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | January 2013 | July 2009 | Newer by 41 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic SZ3
| E-P1 | SZ3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display resolution | 230k | 230k | Exact same display resolution | |
| Selfie screen | Neither contains selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Absent Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic SZ3 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 has got outer measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ3 has specifications of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic SZ3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-P1 against the SZ3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and SZ3 is 86 and 96 respectively.
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic SZ3 Sensor Comparison
Typically, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions simply by going through a spec sheet. The pic underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and SZ3.
As you can see, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic SZ3 will show greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 will be behind in sensor technology.
Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic SZ3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic SZ3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-P1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3 |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
| Released | 2009-07-29 | 2013-01-07 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic V | - |
| 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 | 12 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | - |
| Full resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Total focus points | 11 | 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 range | - | 5cm |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
| Resolution of display | 230k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD with AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/1600 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 3.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Change white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 4.10 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | 1/180 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| 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 | 355 gr (0.78 lbs) | 126 gr (0.28 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 121 x 70 x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") | 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 | 21.4 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 536 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 300 photos | 250 photos |
| Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Price at launch | $182 | $150 |