Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic FZ35

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FZ35, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and FZ35 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and FZ35 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-500 was manufactured 5 years before the FZ35 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ35 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-500 grades against the FZ35 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic FZ35 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-500 has outer measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ35 has proportions of 118mm x 76mm x 89mm (4.6" x 3.0" x 3.5") having a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-500 and Panasonic FZ35 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-500 and the FZ35.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and FZ35 is 70 and 72 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions only by checking out specifications. The picture here may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and FZ35.

To sum up, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FZ35 will produce more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images way more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.