Olympus E-450 vs Panasonic S5

In this write-up, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic S5, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-450 (10MP) and S5 (24MP) and the E-450 (Four Thirds) and S5 (Full frame) feature totally different sensor size.

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The E-450 was launched 12 years prior to the S5 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-450 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-450 scores versus the S5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-450 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-450 Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-450 has outer dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic S5 has measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-450 and Panasonic S5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-450 and the S5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-450 and S5 is 77 and 60 respectively.

Often, its difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes purely by checking specs. The image underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-450 and S5.

As you can plainly see, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-450 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic S5 will give you greater detail utilizing its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged E-450 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.