Olympus SH-3 vs Panasonic FP8

The following is a thorough comparison of the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic FP8, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and FP8 (12MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SH-3 was unveiled 6 years after the FP8 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FP8 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the SH-3 scores against the FP8 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Panasonic FP8 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-3 has got outer measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic FP8 has sizing of 96mm x 60mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 151 grams (0.33 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic FP8 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the SH-3 versus the FP8.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and FP8 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing technical specs. The image below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and FP8.

As you can tell, each of the cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Olympus SH-3 to deliver greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger SH-3 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.