Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS80

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS80, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and ZS80 (20MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ZS80 (1/2.3") come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was released 11 years prior to the ZS80 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-510 scores against the ZS80 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 and Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Panasonic ZS80 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 provides external dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS80 has sizing of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") along with a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the E-510 vs the ZS80.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and ZS80 is 69 and 86 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes simply by going over specifications. The picture here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-510 and ZS80.

To sum up, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-510 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic ZS80 will offer greater detail as a result of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-510 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.