Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic TS3

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic TS3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the TS3 (12MP) is relatively close but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and TS3 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was introduced 6 months prior to the TS3 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a concise overview of how the XZ-1 grades against the TS3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Panasonic TS3 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with outside measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Panasonic TS3 has measurements of 103mm x 64mm x 27mm (4.1" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 197 grams (0.43 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 and Panasonic TS3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the XZ-1 against the TS3.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and TS3 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through technical specs. The visual here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and TS3.

As you can tell, both of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic TS3 will render more detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively.