Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic LX3

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic LX3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the LX3 (10MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and LX3 (1/1.63") come with different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was unveiled 2 years after the LX3 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX3 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PL1s grades versus the LX3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s has got external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX3 has specifications of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic LX3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1s versus the LX3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and LX3 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes just by reviewing specs. The pic here will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and LX3.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL1s will offer you greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more recent E-PL1s should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.