Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS10

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic ZS10, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and ZS10 (14MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ZS10 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was revealed 4 years before the ZS10 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-510 scores vs the ZS10 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Panasonic ZS10 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 provides exterior dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS10 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Olympus E-510 and Panasonic ZS10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-510 versus the ZS10.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and ZS10 is 69 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions only by viewing technical specs. The pic here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-510 and ZS10.

As you have seen, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS10 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.