Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic SZ1

Below is a extended review of the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic SZ1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-510 was brought out 5 years prior to the SZ1 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-510 matches up against the SZ1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-510 offers physical 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 SZ1 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic SZ1 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-510 versus the SZ1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and SZ1 is 69 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor measurements just by going over specs. The visual here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-510 and SZ1.

As you can plainly see, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-510 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic SZ1 will offer extra detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-510 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.