Olympus E-400 vs Panasonic ZS8

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus E-400 versus Panasonic ZS8, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") boast different sensor measurements.

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The E-400 was revealed 5 years prior to the ZS8 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-400 scores versus the ZS8 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-400 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-400 Gallery & Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to factor 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") with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS8 has proportions of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-400 versus Panasonic ZS8 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-400 against the ZS8.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-400 and ZS8 is 77 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reading a spec sheet. The picture underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-400 and ZS8.

Clearly, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-400 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS8 will offer extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-400 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.