Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic SZ10

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic SZ10, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and SZ10 (16MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and SZ10 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the SZ10 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ10 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-5 matches up versus the SZ10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ10. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Panasonic SZ10 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 provides external measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ10 has specifications of 99mm x 60mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 177 grams (0.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic SZ10 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the E-5 versus the SZ10.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and SZ10 is 58 and 93 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The graphic underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and SZ10.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-5 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic SZ10 will render more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots much more aggressively. The older E-5 will be behind in sensor technology.