Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS45

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic ZS45, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and ZS45 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was introduced 12 years earlier than the ZS45 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-1 matches up vs the ZS45 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 comes with outer measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS45 has measurements of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 and Panasonic ZS45 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-1 vs the ZS45.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and ZS45 is 59 and 91 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing only by looking through technical specs. The visual below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and ZS45.

As you have seen, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS45 will provide you with extra detail using its extra 11 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.