Olympus SH-3 vs Panasonic FX580

Below is a complete comparison of the Olympus SH-3 versus Panasonic FX580, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and FX580 (12MP) but they feature the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SH-3 was manufactured 7 years later than the FX580 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the SH-3 matches up against the FX580 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Panasonic FX580 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-3 features physical dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic FX580 has sizing of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-3 versus Panasonic FX580 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the SH-3 versus the FX580.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and FX580 is 88 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading through specs. The graphic below will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-3 and FX580.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different megapixels. You can expect the Olympus SH-3 to give greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more modern SH-3 should have a benefit in sensor technology.