Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic SZ1

Here, we are comparing the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic SZ1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-P3 was released 4 months earlier than the SZ1 so they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-P3 matches up against the SZ1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P3 offers outside measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ1 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic SZ1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the E-P3 compared to the SZ1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and SZ1 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes just by checking out a spec sheet. The pic here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and SZ1.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P3 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic SZ1 will show more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively.