Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic FZ40

Here, we are reviewing the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic FZ40, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and FZ40 (14MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and FZ40 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-510 was revealed 3 years before the FZ40 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-510 scores versus the FZ40 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 has got outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ40 has proportions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") with a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic FZ40 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-510 versus the FZ40.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and FZ40 is 69 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by viewing a spec sheet. The image underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and FZ40.

As you can see, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FZ40 will result in more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.