Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS5

The following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the ZS5 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and ZS5 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was introduced 16 months after the ZS5 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL3 grades vs the ZS5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 features exterior measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS5 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 vs Panasonic ZS5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 against the ZS5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and ZS5 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to envision the difference in sensor dimensions simply by checking out technical specs. The pic underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and ZS5.

As you can tell, each of the cameras posses the exact same resolution but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 has got the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallower depth of field simpler. The younger E-PL3 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.