Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic XS1

Following is a extensive review of the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic XS1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and XS1 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizes.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

The E-510 was launched 6 years prior to the XS1 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-510 scores against the XS1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-510 has outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) while the Panasonic XS1 has measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic XS1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-510 vs the XS1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and XS1 is 69 and 97 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes just by checking specs. The image underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and XS1.

All in all, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-510 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic XS1 will give more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-510 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.