Olympus E-500 vs Pentax RZ18

In this write-up, we will be matching up the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax RZ18, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and RZ18 (1/2.3") use different sensor measurements.

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The E-500 was launched 6 years earlier than the RZ18 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-500 grades versus the RZ18 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Pentax Optio RZ18. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 enjoys exterior dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax RZ18 has sizing of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax RZ18 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-500 against the RZ18.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and RZ18 is 70 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph here might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and RZ18.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-500 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh simpler and the Pentax RZ18 will give more detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older E-500 is going to be behind in sensor technology.