Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic FH5

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-510 versus Panasonic FH5, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and FH5 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and FH5 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The E-510 was announced 4 years earlier than the FH5 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FH5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-510 matches up against the FH5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Panasonic FH5 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 has external dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FH5 has sizing of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-510 versus Panasonic FH5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-510 vs the FH5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and FH5 is 69 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to picture the difference in sensor sizes purely by researching specifications. The pic below may give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-510 and FH5.

Plainly, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-510 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FH5 will provide you with extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.