Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic LZ40

Below is a extended overview of the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic LZ40, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and LZ40 (20MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and LZ40 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P3 was manufactured 3 years before the LZ40 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-P3 scores against the LZ40 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P3 offers outer measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ40 has sizing of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") along with a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic LZ40 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-P3 vs the LZ40.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and LZ40 is 86 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements merely by checking technical specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and LZ40.

As you have seen, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic LZ40 will give you extra detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-P3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.