Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic LS5

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic LS5, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and LS5 (14MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and LS5 (1/2.3") possess different sensor size.

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The E-500 was introduced 6 years prior to the LS5 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LS5 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-500 scores versus the LS5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic LS5 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 features physical measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Panasonic LS5 has measurements of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic LS5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-500 and the LS5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and LS5 is 70 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to picture the difference between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and LS5.

Clearly, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-500 having a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic LS5 will give you greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind in sensor tech.