Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic ZS3

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic ZS3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the ZS3 (10MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

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The E-PL1 was introduced 13 months after the ZS3 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-PL1 matches up against the ZS3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 features outside measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS3 has proportions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1 and the ZS3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and ZS3 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by seeing specs. The pic below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and ZS3.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL1 will show extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more modern E-PL1 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.