Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-1 was manufactured 8 years prior to the ZS8 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-1 matches up vs the ZS8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 has got external measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") having a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS8 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic ZS8 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-1 against the ZS8.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and ZS8 is 59 and 92 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing just by checking a spec sheet. The visual underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and ZS8.

As you can see, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-1 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting bokeh easier and the Panasonic ZS8 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.