Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic ZS100

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic ZS100, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and ZS100 (1") use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was announced 8 years before the ZS100 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving through a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-420 scores versus the ZS100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 provides external 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) while the Panasonic ZS100 has dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-420 and Panasonic ZS100 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-420 versus the ZS100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and ZS100 is 77 and 87 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to picture the contrast in sensor measurements simply by researching specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and ZS100.

All in all, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-420 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic ZS100 will render more detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The older E-420 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.