Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS40

Here is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS40, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and ZS40 (18MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and ZS40 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was released 3 years before the ZS40 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL3 scores versus the ZS40 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 offers external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS40 has measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS40 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL3 against the ZS40.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL3 and ZS40 is 88 and 90 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing purely by viewing a spec sheet. The visual below may give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and ZS40.

Clearly, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS40 will provide you with more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.