Olympus E-420 vs Olympus 7040

Following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus 7040, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and 7040 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and 7040 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-420 was manufactured 18 months before the 7040 which makes them a generation away from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus 7040 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-420 matches up vs the 7040 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 & Olympus Stylus 7040. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Olympus 7040 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 has got external measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Olympus 7040 has sizing of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus 7040 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-420 vs the 7040.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and 7040 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes only by looking through technical specs. The pic below may give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and 7040.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus 7040 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be behind in sensor tech.