Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic S3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-PL6 has external dimensions of 111 x 64 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x 1.5″) and weighs 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic S3 has external dimensions of 99 x 59 x 21 mm (3.9 x 2.32 x 0.83″) and weighs 117 g (0.26 lb / 4.13 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL6 and the Panasonic S3. Panasonic S3 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 12mm narrower, 5mm shorter and 17mm thinner than Olympus E-PL6. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic S3 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PL6 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PL6, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic S3.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic S3.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic S3 is significantly lighter (208g ) than the Olympus E-PL6 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-PL6, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Olympus PEN E-PL6 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Olympus E-PL6's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic S3's 2.7" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Olympus E-PL6 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic S3 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-PL6.