Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic ZS10

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic ZS10, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and ZS10 (14MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and ZS10 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-400 was revealed 5 years before the ZS10 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a complete comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-400 scores vs the ZS10 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-400 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-400 Gallery & Panasonic ZS10 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 features external measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS10 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic ZS10 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the E-400 vs the ZS10.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-400 and ZS10 is 77 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The graphic underneath will help give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-400 and ZS10.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-400 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS10 will show greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older E-400 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.