Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S3

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the S3 (14MP) is very close but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and S3 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P5 was manufactured 2 years after the S3 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-P5 grades against the S3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Panasonic S3 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P5 offers physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) while the Panasonic S3 has proportions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-P5 versus the S3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P5 and S3 is 85 and 96 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizes only by looking through technical specs. The image underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and S3.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P5 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The newer E-P5 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.