Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic SZ3

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic SZ3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and SZ3 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and SZ3 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was revealed 15 months earlier than the SZ3 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL3 grades vs the SZ3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic SZ3 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ3 has proportions of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 versus Panasonic SZ3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the SZ3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and SZ3 is 88 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking specifications. The photograph below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and SZ3.

Plainly, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ3 will resolve extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-PL3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.