Olympus SP-820UZ vs Panasonic LX3

Following is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus SP-820UZ vs Panasonic LX3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the SP-820UZ (14MP) and LX3 (10MP) and the SP-820UZ (1/2.3") and LX3 (1/1.63") enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SP-820UZ was announced 3 years after the LX3 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the SP-820UZ matches up against the LX3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery and Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-820UZ comes with physical dimensions of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs) and the Panasonic LX3 has dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-820UZ vs Panasonic LX3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the SP-820UZ compared to the LX3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SP-820UZ and LX3 is 69 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading through specs. The pic underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-820UZ and LX3.

All in all, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SP-820UZ with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus SP-820UZ will give greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The newer SP-820UZ provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.