Olympus 1s vs Panasonic S3

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus 1s and Panasonic S3, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the 1s (12MP) and the S3 (14MP) is very similar but the 1s (1/1.7") and S3 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The 1s was manufactured 4 years later than the S3 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the 1s grades versus the S3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus 1s and Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery and Panasonic S3 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus 1s has got external dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") along with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) and the Panasonic S3 has measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 1s and Panasonic S3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the 1s compared to the S3.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the 1s and S3 is 79 and 96 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reviewing specifications. The graphic below might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and S3.

Plainly, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 1s featuring a larger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic S3 will offer you extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent 1s is going to have an edge in sensor technology.