Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FZ80

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FZ80, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

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The E-420 was launched 9 years prior to the FZ80 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-420 matches up against the FZ80 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 features external dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ80 has dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic FZ80 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-420 versus the FZ80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and FZ80 is 77 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by researching a spec sheet. The image below might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and FZ80.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic FZ80 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.