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Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3

Portability
88
Imaging
40
Features
53
Overall
45
Olympus Stylus SH-1 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3 front
Portability
94
Imaging
36
Features
26
Overall
32

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Key Specs

Olympus SH-1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 271g - 109 x 63 x 42mm
  • Introduced March 2014
  • Successor is Olympus SH-2
Panasonic ZR3
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-200mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 159g - 98 x 55 x 26mm
  • Introduced January 2010
  • Additionally referred to as Lumix DMC-ZX3
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Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Overview

The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic ZR3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SH-1 (16MP) and the ZR3 (14MP) is fairly similar and they use the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SH-1 was brought out 4 years after the ZR3 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a short view of how the SH-1 scores vs the ZR3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SH-1 over the Panasonic ZR3

 SH-1 ZR3 
IntroducedMarch 2014January 2010Newer by 51 months
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZR3 over the Olympus SH-1

 ZR3 SH-1 

Common features in the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic ZR3

 SH-1 ZR3 
Manually focus Lack of manual focus
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen No selfie screen

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to travel with your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-1 comes with exterior measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Panasonic ZR3 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic ZR3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the SH-1 against the ZR3.

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-1 and ZR3 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, its hard to picture the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing technical specs. The image below will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-1 and ZR3.

As you can tell, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You should anticipate the Olympus SH-1 to offer extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images far more aggressively. The more modern SH-1 provides an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 sensor size comparison

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Portrait photography advice
Panasonic ZR3 Portrait photography advice
37
resolution is good (16MP)
features face detect focusing
manual focus not available
no external flash support
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
28
good MP (14 megapixels)
manual focus not available
manual exposure not available
external flash not possible
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus SH-1
Street photography with Panasonic ZR3
64
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has focus via touch
lighter than competitors (271g)
no articulating screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
56
has image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Sports photography info
Panasonic ZR3 Sports photography info
51
great zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
features tracking focus
good battery pack (380 shots)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
36
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (14MP)
has tracking focus
max shutter speed is low (1/1,300s)
low frames per second (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus SH-1 as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic ZR3 as a Travel photography camera
74
good battery pack (380 CIPA)
lighter than competitors (271g)
has focus via touch
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
relatively wide (25mm)
long zoom (600mm)
does not feature selfie friendly display
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
64
good MP (14MP)
built-in flash
fairly wide (25mm)
missing Timelapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Landscape photography factors
Panasonic ZR3 Landscape photography factors
49
relatively wide (25mm)
screen is a good size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
good battery pack (380 CIPA)
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
37
fairly wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (14MP)
manual focus not available
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not available
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
missing Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SH-1 Vlogging information
Panasonic ZR3 Vlogging information
37
relatively wide (25mm)
touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
features face detect focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
has microphone jack
lighter than competitors (271g)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
does not feature selfie friendly display
29
fairly wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
display is not selfie friendly
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pxls)
missing microphone jack
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Olympus SH-1 vs Panasonic ZR3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SH-1 and Panasonic ZR3
 Olympus Stylus SH-1Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus Stylus SH-1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3
Also called as - Lumix DMC-ZX3
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Introduced 2014-03-31 2010-01-26
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII Venus Engine HD II
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points - 11
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-600mm (24.0x) 25-200mm (8.0x)
Maximum aperture f/3.0-6.9 f/3.3-5.9
Macro focusing distance 3cm 3cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.9
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 2.7"
Display resolution 460k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 30 secs 60 secs
Max shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/1300 secs
Continuous shutter speed 12.0 frames per sec 2.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance - 5.30 m
Flash settings - Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format H.264 AVCHD Lite
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 271g (0.60 lbs) 159g (0.35 lbs)
Dimensions 109 x 63 x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") 98 x 55 x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 380 shots -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery ID LI-92B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Retail pricing $349 $280