Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic SZ8

In this article, we are contrasting the Olympus E-400 and Panasonic SZ8, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and SZ8 (16MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and SZ8 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-400 was unveiled 8 years earlier than the SZ8 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ8 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-400 grades vs the SZ8 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-400 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-400 Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-400 provides exterior dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ8 has proportions of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") along with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Olympus E-400 and Panasonic SZ8 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-400 and the SZ8.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-400 and SZ8 is 77 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through specs. The graphic underneath might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-400 and SZ8.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-400 using its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ8 will render greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a little more aggressively. The older E-400 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.