Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic SZ1

Here is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic SZ1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the E-330 (7MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-330 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-330 was revealed 6 years before the SZ1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-330 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-330 scores versus the SZ1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-330 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-330 Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-330 provides outer dimensions of 140mm x 87mm x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ1 has proportions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic SZ1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-330 against the SZ1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-330 and SZ1 is 65 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to envision the difference in sensor sizing purely by going through a spec sheet. The visual here will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-330 and SZ1.

Clearly, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-330 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic SZ1 will show greater detail because of its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-330 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.