Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ20
86 Imaging
47 Features
60 Overall
52
71 Imaging
39 Features
34 Overall
37
Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ20 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
- Revealed August 2011
- Earlier Model is Olympus E-P2
- Replacement is Olympus E-P5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600 (Bump to 6400)
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-525mm (F3.1-5.8) lens
- 499g - 120 x 76 x 80mm
- Revealed July 2012
- Replacement is Panasonic LZ30
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The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic LZ20, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and LZ20 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and LZ20 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe E-P3 was revealed 11 months before the LZ20 which means that they are of a similar age. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.
Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-P3 scores against the LZ20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Panasonic LZ20
| E-P3 | LZ20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial exact focus | |||
| Display resolution | 614k | 460k | Crisper display (+154k dot) | |
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic LZ20 over the Olympus E-P3
| LZ20 | E-P3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | July 2012 | August 2011 | Newer by 11 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic LZ20
| E-P3 | LZ20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display size | 3" | 3" | Same display size | |
| Selfie screen | Lacking selfie screen |
Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ20 Physical Comparison
In case you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 comes with external measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Panasonic LZ20 has measurements of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") with a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic LZ20 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-P3 against the LZ20.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and LZ20 is 86 and 71 respectively.
Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ20 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it is difficult to envision the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading specifications. The pic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and LZ20.
To sum up, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 having a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic LZ20 will deliver greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged E-P3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ20 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ20 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-P3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20 |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Revealed | 2011-08-17 | 2012-07-18 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | SLR-like (bridge) |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic VI | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 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 | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Max native ISO | 12800 | 1600 |
| Max enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | - | 25-525mm (21.0x) |
| Highest aperture | - | f/3.1-5.8 |
| Macro focusing range | - | 2cm |
| Number of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display size | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 614 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Display technology | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating | TFT Screen LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 15s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/2000s |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) | 6.80 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/180s | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720p ( 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| 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 sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 369g (0.81 lb) | 499g (1.10 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 120 x 76 x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 51 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 20.8 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.1 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 536 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 images | 380 images |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Pricing at release | $0 | $250 |