Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic G3

Lets look more closely at the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic G3, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and G3 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and G3 (Four Thirds) offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SP-590 UZ was brought out 3 years before the G3 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic G3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the SP-590 UZ scores against the G3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Panasonic G3 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-590 UZ has got exterior measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Panasonic G3 has dimensions of 115mm x 84mm x 47mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 1.9") and a weight of 336 grams (0.74 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic G3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the SP-590 UZ against the G3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and G3 is 72 and 83 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to see the difference between sensor measurements simply by going over a spec sheet. The visual underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-590 UZ and G3.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SP-590 UZ because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic G3 will offer you extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ is going to be behind in sensor tech.