Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic GH3

Below, we will be looking at the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic GH3, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and GH3 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and GH3 (Four Thirds) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The SP-590 UZ was unveiled 4 years before the GH3 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic GH3 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the SP-590 UZ matches up vs the GH3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Panasonic GH3 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-590 UZ enjoys outside measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Panasonic GH3 has sizing of 133mm x 93mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 3.2") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic GH3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the SP-590 UZ and the GH3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and GH3 is 72 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes purely by researching a spec sheet. The image below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-590 UZ and GH3.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SP-590 UZ with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh tougher and the Panasonic GH3 will result in extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SP-590 UZ will be behind in sensor tech.