Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3
86 Imaging
47 Features
43 Overall
45
91 Imaging
32 Features
30 Overall
31
Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
- Launched November 2010
- Previous Model is Olympus E-PL1
- Refreshed by Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-300mm (F3.3-4.9) lens
- 229g - 103 x 60 x 33mm
- Released May 2009
- Also referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ7
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Overview
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.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe 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.
Photography Glossary Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1s over the Panasonic ZS3
| E-PL1s | ZS3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | November 2010 | May 2009 | More modern by 19 months | |
| Manual focus | Very exact focusing |
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS3 over the Olympus E-PL1s
| ZS3 | E-PL1s | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display size | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
| Display resolution | 460k | 230k | Crisper display (+230k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic ZS3
| E-PL1s | ZS3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Neither features selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Neither features Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Physical Comparison
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.
Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Sensor Comparison
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.
Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZS3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL1s | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model | Olympus PEN E-PL1s | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| Also referred to as | - | Lumix DMC-TZ7 |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Launched | 2010-11-16 | 2009-05-14 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | Truepic V | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12MP | 10MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 3648 x 2736 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 11 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 25-300mm (12.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/3.3-4.9 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 3cm |
| Available lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 2.7" | 3" |
| Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 60 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames/s | 2.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 10.00 m | 5.30 m (Auto ISO) |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video data format | Motion JPEG | AVCHD Lite |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 334 grams (0.74 pounds) | 229 grams (0.50 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 103 x 60 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 290 photographs | - |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | BLS-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC | SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Launch cost | $599 | $200 |