Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS3

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic ZS3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the ZS3 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 2 years after the ZS3 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL3 scores against the ZS3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you need 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") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS3 has proportions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic ZS3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-PL3 vs the ZS3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and ZS3 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Often, its hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The picture below will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and ZS3.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL3 will provide greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The newer E-PL3 should have an edge in sensor innovation.