Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX3

Let's look much closer at the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and LX3 (10MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and LX3 (1/1.63") have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SH-50 was revealed 4 years after the LX3 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the SH-50 grades vs the LX3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-50 has outer measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX3 has dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the SH-50 and the LX3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and LX3 is 88 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to see the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing specs. The picture underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-50 and LX3.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SH-50 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus SH-50 will offer you more detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more recent SH-50 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.