Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic ZS25

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic ZS25, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and ZS25 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and ZS25 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-500 was released 8 years before the ZS25 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS25 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-500 scores against the ZS25 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS25. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic ZS25 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 enjoys 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 ZS25 has sizing of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-500 versus Panasonic ZS25 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 versus the ZS25.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and ZS25 is 70 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by checking out technical specs. The visual here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and ZS25.

As you have seen, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-500 because of its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS25 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The older E-500 will be behind in sensor technology.