Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic XS1

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic XS1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and XS1 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was manufactured 16 months earlier than the XS1 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-P3 scores versus the XS1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P3 provides exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Panasonic XS1 has proportions of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P3 versus Panasonic XS1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-P3 and the XS1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and XS1 is 86 and 97 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements just by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and XS1.

As you can see, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic XS1 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-P3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.