Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FH3

Lets look more closely at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FH3, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and FH3 (14MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and FH3 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was unveiled 13 months after the FH3 making them a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the XZ-1 scores against the FH3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH3. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Panasonic FH3 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 has got physical measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Panasonic FH3 has proportions of 98mm x 55mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs).

Check out the Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FH3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the XZ-1 versus the FH3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and FH3 is 88 and 94 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to envision the gap between sensor dimensions just by reading technical specs. The picture here might provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and FH3.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 having a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FH3 will offer you extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The fresher XZ-1 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.