Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic LZ20

Here, we are matching up the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic LZ20, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and LZ20 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and LZ20 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.

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The E-500 was released 7 years before the LZ20 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-500 scores vs the LZ20 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 has got 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 LZ20 has measurements of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") and a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

See the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic LZ20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-500 against the LZ20.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and LZ20 is 70 and 71 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The photograph here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and LZ20.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic LZ20 will provide you with extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.