Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic FZ35

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic FZ35, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and FZ35 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and FZ35 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The E-1 was manufactured 7 years prior to the FZ35 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ35 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-1 matches up against the FZ35 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Panasonic FZ35 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 offers outer measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ35 has measurements of 118mm x 76mm x 89mm (4.6" x 3.0" x 3.5") and a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-1 versus Panasonic FZ35 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-1 versus the FZ35.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and FZ35 is 59 and 72 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing simply by seeing technical specs. The visual below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and FZ35.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ35 will produce greater detail due to its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.