Olympus SH-3 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic FZ2500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the FZ2500 (20MP) is pretty well matched but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and FZ2500 (1") posses different sensor sizing.

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The SH-3 was released 7 months prior to the FZ2500 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the SH-3 grades vs the FZ2500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-3 enjoys exterior dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ2500 has measurements of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") and a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic FZ2500 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-3 and the FZ2500.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and FZ2500 is 88 and 53 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading through specs. The visual here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-3 and FZ2500.

All in all, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SH-3 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Panasonic FZ2500 will give greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The older SH-3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.