Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic ZS3

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic ZS3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the ZS3 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and ZS3 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was brought out 2 years later than the ZS3 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS3 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-PM1 scores against the ZS3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 comes with outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS3 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic ZS3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PM1 against the ZS3.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and ZS3 is 89 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic below will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and ZS3.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Olympus E-PM1 will resolve greater detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more modern E-PM1 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.