Olympus E-400 vs Pentax RZ10

Following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-400 and Pentax RZ10, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and RZ10 (14MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and RZ10 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-400 was manufactured 5 years earlier than the RZ10 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax RZ10 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-400 grades vs the RZ10 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-400 and Pentax Optio RZ10. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Pentax RZ10 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-400 comes with external dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) and the Pentax RZ10 has measurements of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-400 and Pentax RZ10 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use during that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-400 against the RZ10.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and RZ10 is 77 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through technical specs. The pic underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-400 and RZ10.

As you can tell, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-400 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax RZ10 will give greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-400 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.