Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the ZS3 (10MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1s was manufactured 19 months after the ZS3 making them a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-PL1s matches up against the ZS3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s enjoys outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS3 has specifications of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s vs the ZS3.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1s and ZS3 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to see the difference in sensor sizes simply by going through specs. The image below might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and ZS3.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s featuring a larger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL1s will provide greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The more modern E-PL1s is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.