Olympus SZ-11 vs Panasonic ZS3

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus SZ-11 and Panasonic ZS3, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-11 (14MP) and ZS3 (10MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SZ-11 was manufactured 2 years after the ZS3 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SZ-11 scores vs the ZS3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-11 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery & Panasonic ZS3 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. 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 ZS3 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-11 and Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the SZ-11 versus the ZS3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-11 and ZS3 is 89 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to see the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The image underneath will give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-11 and ZS3.

As you can see, both of the cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus SZ-11 to offer greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The fresher SZ-11 will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.