Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FZ40

In this article, we are contrasting the Olympus E-420 versus Panasonic FZ40, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FZ40 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FZ40 (1/2.3") come with different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was manufactured 3 years before the FZ40 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-420 matches up versus the FZ40 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 offers outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ40 has dimensions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") along with a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 versus Panasonic FZ40 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-420 vs the FZ40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and FZ40 is 77 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The photograph here may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and FZ40.

As you can tell, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-420 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ40 will render extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-420 will be behind in sensor tech.