Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic ZR1

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-420 versus Panasonic ZR1, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the ZR1 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-420 was launched 13 months before the ZR1 making them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-420 matches up vs the ZR1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 features outer 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 ZR1 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 versus Panasonic ZR1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-420 compared to the ZR1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and ZR1 is 77 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading through specs. The visual below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and ZR1.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-420 featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZR1 will resolve extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older E-420 is going to be behind in sensor technology.