Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic FX580

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-400 and Panasonic FX580, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the FX580 (12MP) is pretty similar but the E-400 (Four Thirds) and FX580 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-400 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the FX580 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FX580 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-400 grades against the FX580 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-400 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Panasonic FX580 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-400 features outer dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) and the Panasonic FX580 has proportions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-400 and Panasonic FX580 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the E-400 against the FX580.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-400 and FX580 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by reading technical specs. The photograph here will offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-400 and FX580.

As you can tell, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-400 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FX580 will deliver more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-400 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.