Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZR1

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZR1, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the ZR1 (12MP) is relatively well matched but the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-510 was released 20 months prior to the ZR1 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-510 grades against the ZR1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-510 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 provides external measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR1 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZR1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-510 against the ZR1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and ZR1 is 69 and 94 respectively.

Often, its hard to envision the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through specs. The pic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and ZR1.

All in all, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-510 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZR1 will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-510 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.