Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic SZ7

The following is a complete review of the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic SZ7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and SZ7 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was brought out 4 months earlier than the SZ7 which means that they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-P3 grades against the SZ7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Panasonic SZ7 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 has outside dimensions 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 SZ7 has measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic SZ7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-P3 versus the SZ7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and SZ7 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor dimensions simply by going through a spec sheet. The image underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P3 and SZ7.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic SZ7 will produce more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively.