Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic ZS5

The following is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic ZS5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-330 (7MP) and ZS5 (12MP) and the E-330 (Four Thirds) and ZS5 (1/2.3") feature different sensor measurements.

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The E-330 was revealed 5 years prior to the ZS5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-330 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-330 matches up against the ZS5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-330 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-330 Gallery and Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-330 features exterior dimensions of 140mm x 87mm x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS5 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic ZS5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-330 and the ZS5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-330 and ZS5 is 65 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions simply by looking at technical specs. The pic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-330 and ZS5.

As you have seen, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-330 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS5 will give you extra detail because of its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-330 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.