Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS45

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic ZS45, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and ZS45 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was revealed 4 years before the ZS45 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL3 grades versus the ZS45 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 provides 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) and the Panasonic ZS45 has proportions of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL3 and Panasonic ZS45 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL3 and the ZS45.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and ZS45 is 88 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes purely by researching a spec sheet. The image here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and ZS45.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL3 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS45 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 will be behind in sensor technology.