Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic TS3

In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic TS3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and TS3 (12MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and TS3 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL8 was launched 5 years after the TS3 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS3 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL8 scores against the TS3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL8 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery and Panasonic TS3 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL8 offers outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Panasonic TS3 has sizing of 103mm x 64mm x 27mm (4.1" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 197 grams (0.43 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL8 vs Panasonic TS3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL8 and the TS3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and TS3 is 86 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to imagine the difference between sensor sizes merely by looking at technical specs. The picture here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and TS3.

As you have seen, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL8 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL8 will give more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The fresher E-PL8 should have an advantage in sensor tech.