Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FS15

Below is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FS15, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FS15 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FS15 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was revealed 4 years before the FS15 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FS15 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-500 scores vs the FS15 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS15. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Panasonic FS15 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 provides exterior measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Panasonic FS15 has specifications of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FS15 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-500 and the FS15.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and FS15 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements simply by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and FS15.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-500 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FS15 will provide greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-500 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.