Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic LZ20

Below, we will be looking at the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic LZ20, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and LZ20 (16MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and LZ20 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-5 was revealed 17 months prior to the LZ20 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-5 matches up against the LZ20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 provides physical dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LZ20 has measurements of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") along with a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic LZ20 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-5 against the LZ20.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and LZ20 is 58 and 71 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by looking at a spec sheet. The image underneath will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-5 and LZ20.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-5 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic LZ20 will give greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.