Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS20

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS20, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and ZS20 (14MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and ZS20 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-1 was revealed 9 years earlier than the ZS20 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short summary of how the E-1 scores against the ZS20 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 provides outside measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS20 has measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-1 compared to the ZS20.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and ZS20 is 59 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing specifications. The graphic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and ZS20.

To sum up, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-1 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS20 will show extra detail because of its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.