Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FZ70

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FZ70, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and FZ70 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and FZ70 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was introduced 22 months prior to the FZ70 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ70 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-PL3 matches up against the FZ70 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic FZ70 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 has physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ70 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 118mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 4.6") along with a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic FZ70 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the FZ70.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and FZ70 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to picture the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through specifications. The image underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and FZ70.

Plainly, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ70 will produce more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.