Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic ZS40

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic ZS40, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and ZS40 (18MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and ZS40 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The E-5 was introduced 3 years before the ZS40 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-5 scores against the ZS40 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-5 provides outer dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS40 has proportions of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-5 versus Panasonic ZS40 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-5 versus the ZS40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and ZS40 is 58 and 90 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through specs. The picture here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and ZS40.

All in all, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-5 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS40 will give you greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The more aged E-5 is going to be behind in sensor tech.