Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic FZ80

The following is a extensive review of the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic FZ80, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was unveiled 6 years prior to the FZ80 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-P3 matches up against the FZ80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 comes with physical measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ80 has specifications of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic FZ80 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P3 compared to the FZ80.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and FZ80 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to picture the difference in sensor dimensions purely by going through a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and FZ80.

As you can see, both cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FZ80 will provide extra detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged E-P3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.