Olympus E-P3 vs Panasonic ZS1

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic ZS1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the ZS1 (10MP) is fairly well matched but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and ZS1 (1/2.5") feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was launched 2 years later than the ZS1 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS1 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-P3 grades against the ZS1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS1 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 provides outside measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") and a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS1 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P3 and Panasonic ZS1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-P3 and the ZS1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and ZS1 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to picture the difference between sensor measurements simply by looking at specs. The photograph here might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and ZS1.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-P3 will resolve more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-P3 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.