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 Panasonic TS2 and Olympus E-PL3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic TS2 has external dimensions of 99 x 63 x 24 mm (3.9 x 2.48 x 0.94″) and weighs 188 g (0.41 lb / 6.63 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-PL3 has external dimensions of 110 x 64 x 37 mm (4.33 x 2.52 x 1.46″) and weighs 313 g (0.69 lb / 11.04 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic TS2 and the Olympus E-PL3. Panasonic TS2 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 11mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 13mm thinner than Olympus E-PL3. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic TS2 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PL3 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PL3, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Panasonic TS2 and Olympus E-PL3.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic TS2 and Olympus E-PL3.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic TS2 is significantly lighter (125g ) than the Olympus E-PL3 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-PL3, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the TS2, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the E-PL3.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Olympus E-PL3's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic TS2's 2.7" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Olympus E-PL3 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 TS2 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-PL3.