Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic ZS15

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic ZS15, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the ZS15 (12MP) is relatively close but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and ZS15 (1/2.3") use different sensor size.

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The E-420 was introduced 5 years earlier than the ZS15 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-420 grades versus the ZS15 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 provides physical dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-420 vs Panasonic ZS15 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 versus the ZS15.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and ZS15 is 77 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes merely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and ZS15.

Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS15 will result in extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be behind in sensor tech.