Olympus SH-3 vs Panasonic LS5

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic LS5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the LS5 (14MP) is pretty close and they use the exact same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SH-3 was launched 4 years after the LS5 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise overview of how the SH-3 scores versus the LS5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Panasonic LS5 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-3 provides physical measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic LS5 has specifications of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-3 and Panasonic LS5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the SH-3 against the LS5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and LS5 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to envision the gap in sensor dimensions purely by researching technical specs. The image below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and LS5.

As you can tell, both of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Olympus SH-3 to render greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more modern SH-3 is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.