Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic ZS80

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic ZS80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and ZS80 (20MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and ZS80 (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was brought out 7 years prior to the ZS80 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-P3 grades vs the ZS80 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS80 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 enjoys physical measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS80 has specifications of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") having a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic ZS80 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-P3 compared to the ZS80.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and ZS80 is 86 and 86 respectively.

Generally, its hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements just by checking out technical specs. The photograph here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and ZS80.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS80 will provide extra detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older E-P3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.