Olympus SZ-11 vs Panasonic SZ3

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus SZ-11 and Panasonic SZ3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-11 (14MP) and the SZ3 (16MP) is very close and they use the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-11 was brought out 17 months prior to the SZ3 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief summary of how the SZ-11 matches up vs the SZ3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-11 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery & Panasonic SZ3 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-11 features external measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ3 has specifications of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-11 and Panasonic SZ3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the SZ-11 versus the SZ3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-11 and SZ3 is 89 and 96 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizing merely by researching specs. The photograph here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-11 and SZ3.

All in all, both of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You can expect to see the Panasonic SZ3 to provide you with greater detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older SZ-11 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.