Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic ZS50

Following is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-330 versus Panasonic ZS50, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-330 (7MP) and ZS50 (12MP) and the E-330 (Four Thirds) and ZS50 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-330 was announced 9 years earlier than the ZS50 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-330 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-330 matches up against the ZS50 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-330 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-330 Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-330 enjoys physical dimensions of 140mm x 87mm x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS50 has measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-330 versus Panasonic ZS50 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-330 against the ZS50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-330 and ZS50 is 65 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading specs. The image underneath might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-330 and ZS50.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-330 having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic ZS50 will offer greater detail with its extra 5MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-330 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.