Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic ZS60

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic ZS60, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and ZS60 (18MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and ZS60 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was introduced 11 years before the ZS60 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS60 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-500 scores vs the ZS60 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Panasonic ZS60 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 has physical dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS60 has measurements of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic ZS60 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-500 vs the ZS60.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and ZS60 is 70 and 88 respectively.

Generally, its hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements simply by seeing specs. The graphic underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and ZS60.

All in all, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-500 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic ZS60 will provide more detail using its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.