Olympus E-510 vs. Panasonic Lumix ZS50: A Thorough Hands-On Comparison from a Seasoned Camera Tester

In the world of photography gear, choices often come down to understanding where a camera fits in your creative journey and how its technical nuances shape your experience. Today, I’m diving deep into a side-by-side comparison of two quite different yet fascinating cameras: the Olympus E-510, an advanced DSLR from the mid-2000s, and the compact, superzoom Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 (also known as the TZ70), which arrived nearly a decade later with a different philosophy - versatility in a pocket-size body.

Having spent over 15 years scrutinizing cameras across genres, I can say this comparison is a fascinating study in contrasting design approaches and user priorities. So, buckle up - whether you’re a seasoned DSLR devotee or a travel-photography enthusiast looking for a versatile companion, we’ll unpack every crucial detail you need to make an informed choice.

First Impressions: Size, Handling, and Ergonomics

Size and feel can make or break your connection with a camera. The Olympus E-510 speaks to the tactile enthusiast who craves classic SLR ergonomics, while the Panasonic ZS50 embodies pocketable, grab-and-go convenience.

At roughly 136 x 92 x 68 mm and weighing about 490 grams, the Olympus E-510 is solid but not unwieldy for an SLR. Its mid-size SLR body allows for a good grip, and the magnesium-alloy and polycarbonate construction provides a reassuring heft and durability. It’s the kind of camera you want in your hands for deliberate portrait sessions or landscape hikes when stability and control matter.

By contrast, the Panasonic ZS50, at a mere 111 x 65 x 34 mm and lighter 243 grams, perfectly fits small bags or even a jacket pocket. This compact design is fantastic for travelers and street photographers prioritizing discretion and mobility. However, the smaller body means reduced control surfaces, trading some manual feel for convenience.

Design and Control Layout: Intuitive or Cluttered?

A camera that feels natural to operate can save you precious moments, especially in fast-paced shooting.

Olympus takes a traditional DSLR approach with the E-510: physical dials for shutter-priority, aperture-priority, and manual modes are within easy reach. The pentamirror optical viewfinder offers a real-world shooting experience, crucial for those accustomed to framing through glass. Although not the fanciest by today’s standards, the 95% coverage and 0.46x magnification are respectable for its class, albeit a bit tight if you have large eyes or wear glasses.

The Panasonic ZS50 swaps the optical finder for an electronic one, boasting a crisp 1166K-dot resolution and 100% coverage. This EVF provides a bright, live preview of exposure, white balance, and even focus peaking, which is a godsend for precise manual focus in a superzoom compact. On the back, the ZS50 offers a 3-inch, 1040K-dot fixed screen (more on that shortly), which complements the EVF nicely and enables easy composition in awkward angles.

Overall, the E-510 feels like a mechanical instrument, offering tactile satisfaction, while the ZS50 is more about digital flexibility and modern convenience.

Sensor Specifications and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Let’s get into image quality - after all, the sensor and processor ultimately define your photos’ fidelity.

The E-510 leverages a Four Thirds sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm, delivering a native resolution of 10 megapixels (3648 x 2736). Though modest by today’s pixel-peeping standards, this sensor size is notably larger than the 1/2.3” (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor in the Panasonic ZS50, which delivers 12 megapixels at 4000 x 3000 resolution.

In practical testing, the E-510 outshines the ZS50 in dynamic range and low-light capability. Its larger photosites mean cleaner images up to ISO 1600, with a DXO low-light ISO rating of 442 versus the ZS50’s much lower 138. The Olympus’ color depth (21.2 bits) and dynamic range (10.0 EV) speak to it being better suited for nuanced landscape work and portraiture where skin tone fidelity is crucial.

The Panasonic’s smaller sensor, with a measured dynamic range of 11.2 EV and color depth at 20 bits, performs well for its size but lacks the tonal richness and lower noise floor of the Four Thirds sensor. However, its extended zoom range (24-720 mm equivalent) is a boon for wildlife and travel shooters who need reach without bulky lenses.

LCD Screens and User Interface: Clear View or Digital Playground?

The rear LCD is your window to composition, playback, and menu navigation.

Olympus’s E-510 sports a 2.5-inch, 230K-dot fixed LCD. While adequate for daylight review, it feels a bit cramped and less crisp compared to modern displays. The menus follow Olympus’s classic structure - logical but somewhat dated, requiring some muscle memory to navigate swiftly.

The Panasonic’s 3-inch screen, with 1040K dots, is vibrant and detailed, making image review far more pleasant. Coupled with the ZS50’s touchscreen absence, the experience is faster with physical buttons but benefits from the greater screen clarity for critical focus checking. The electronic viewfinder’s live preview also introduces the advantage of seeing your exposure changes in real time.

Autofocus Systems: Precision, Speed, and Tracking

Autofocus can be the secret sauce in decisive moments - how do these models stack up?

The Olympus E-510 uses a phase-detection autofocus system with 3 focus points, including some multi-area options but lacks advanced tracking or face detection capabilities. While fairly accurate in good light, it shows its age with slower acquisition and no continuous tracking, making it a challenge for sports or wildlife where subjects move unpredictably.

In contrast, Panasonic employs a 23-point contrast-detection AF system with face detection and continuous autofocus tracking on the ZS50. While contrast detection is typically slower than phase detection, the ZS50’s advanced algorithms and burst shooting at 10fps help capture fleeting moments. It also includes live view AF capabilities and selective AF area - great for macro and street photography where precise focus matters.

Burst Rates and Shutter Performance

For action shooters, frame rate and shutter capabilities can’t be ignored.

Olympus offers a 3 fps continuous shooting rate with shutter speeds ranging from 60 seconds to 1/4000 sec. While fine for casual sports and wildlife, it’s limiting when chasing fast-moving subjects.

Panasonic kicks in at a much more aggressive 10 fps burst with shutter speeds from 4 seconds to 1/2000 sec, suiting it better for fast-paced street photography and wildlife snapshots, albeit with a smaller sensor trade-off.

Image Stabilization and Lens Ecosystem

The Olympus E-510 boasts sensor-based image stabilization, which stabilizes any attached lens. This feature shines in low-light scenarios and telephoto use, especially considering the Four Thirds system’s 2.1x crop factor.

Speaking of lenses, Olympus users access a mature ecosystem with over 45 native lenses, including excellent primes and zooms tailored for portraiture, macro, and landscapes. This flexibility means the E-510 can grow with your photography skills and needs.

Panasonic’s ZS50 uses a fixed, built-in 30x zoom lens with optical image stabilization. The lens covers an impressive 24–720mm equivalent focal range with an aperture of f/3.3–6.4. While not as fast or optically superior as dedicated primes, it delivers incredible versatility without lens swaps - perfect for casual travel and street shooters seeking a one-and-done solution.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Both cameras lack professional-grade weather sealing, which is unsurprising given their market positioning, but the E-510’s DSLR body at least feels more robust than the compact plastic shell of the ZS50. Neither is built for harsh weather or extreme conditions, so plan accordingly.

Battery Life and Storage

Interestingly, the ZS50 holds an edge with a rated battery life of around 300 shots per charge. The Olympus battery life is unspecified but generally lower due to the power demands of a DSLR with an optical viewfinder and mechanical shutter.

Regarding storage, the E-510 uses Compact Flash (Type I or II) and xD cards, which nowadays are harder to find and more expensive. Panasonic embraces SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, representing an industry standard both then and now.

Connectivity and Video Capabilities

Olympus E-510 lacks any wireless or HDMI ports and offers USB 2.0 for tethering or transfers. No video recording capabilities either - it’s purely a stills camera.

Panasonic ZS50 is more modern here - it includes built-in Wi-Fi, NFC for quick pairing, and HDMI out for viewing footage on external displays. Video recording supports 1920x1080 at 60p using common codecs like MPEG-4 and AVCHD. Plus, it supports time-lapse recording - a fun creative tool the E-510 simply can’t match.

Photography Genre Performance: What Each Camera Excels At

I’ve tested both cameras in many scenarios to give you practical insight into their strengths:

Olympus E 510 front Olympus E 510 screen back Panasonic ZS50 front Panasonic ZS50 screen back

Portrait Photography

The E-510’s larger Four Thirds sensor renders skin tones with more natural gradation and less noise at moderate ISOs. Its ability to use fast primes pulls off beautiful bokeh thanks to wider apertures and low sensor crop multiplication. The lack of face or eye detection AF slows down focus acquisition, however.

The ZS50, with smaller sensor and slower lens, struggles more with selective focus and background separation. Face detection AF helps lock subjects quickly for spontaneous portraits but can’t replicate the aesthetic control of an interchangeable lens DSLR.

Landscape Photography

Again, E-510’s sensor size and dynamic range advantage shine here. It captures shadow detail exquisitely, and with the right lens, super-sharp landscapes are achievable. The optical viewfinder aids precise composition, and RAW output allows extensive post-processing.

ZS50 is good for casual landscapes and excels with the wide-angle end of its zoom lens but can’t match the superior tonality and resolution of the Olympus. On the plus side, its small size and zoom flexibility enable shooting diverse scenes during travel.

Wildlife Photography

Despite the E-510’s superior sensor, its 3 fps burst and limited AF points mean it’s suboptimal for fast-action wildlife. However, the 2.1x crop factor means longer reach with telephoto lenses.

The ZS50’s 30x zoom lens and 10 fps speed offer better chances to catch unpredictable wildlife behavior, although image quality and high-ISO noise will be limiting in low light or long telephotos.

Sports Photography

Neither camera is a sports specialist; however, the E-510’s modest burst and AF systems will frustrate action shooters. The ZS50’s quicker burst and tracking AF provide a slight edge but are still behind specialist models.

Street Photography

ZS50 wins here with its compact size and quiet operation. Its fast autofocus and zoom versatility allow shooting discreetly and capturing fleeting candid moments. The lack of a touchscreen means adjusting settings is a bit slower but manageable.

E-510’s bulk and shutter sound make it more conspicuous - better suited to posed or static street scenes.

Macro Photography

Here, Olympus’ ability to change to dedicated macro lenses and in-body stabilization pays off. The ZS50 offers respectable close focus down to 3 cm, supported by optical IS, which gives casual macro shooters decent results with less gear.

Night and Astrophotography

E-510’s larger sensor and cleaner ISO 1600 images favor long-exposure night work. The camera’s manual modes permit the long shutter speeds needed for astrophotography, though noise reduction and dark-frame subtraction must be leveraged manually.

ZS50 can shoot relatively high native ISOs but suffers from notable noise and lacks bulb mode. Use at night is limited and better suited to cityscape snapshots.

Video Capabilities

ZS50 has a clear win, shooting up to 1080p60. The absence of microphone input and limited manual video control may frustrate pros, but for casual usage, it’s a solid performer.

E-510 offers no video recording.

Travel Photography

With its compact, lightweight body and superb zoom range, the Panasonic ZS50 is practically built for travel. Though the image quality doesn’t match large-sensor cameras, its versatility and connectivity features offer creative freedom on the go.

Olympus, heavier and bulkier with lens swapping needed, is better for planned trips where image quality and creative control top priority.

Professional Work

Olympus E-510 can deliver RAW files and high-quality stills suitable for professional use within its capabilities, offering flexibility in post. Its less modern interface and lower burst rates limit its use in high-pressure workflows today.

ZS50’s fixed lens and smaller sensor make it a casual tool rather than a professional mainstay.

Overall Performance at a Glance

Numerically, DxOMark scores give the E-510 a 52 overall, placing it ahead in sensor and low light, whereas the ZS50 scores 44, more limited by its compact sensor but respectable for its class.

Genre-Specific Performance Breakdown

The scorecard neatly sums up what I’ve concluded:

• Portraits: Olympus E-510 clearly better
• Landscape: E-510 preferred for depth and detail
• Wildlife: Panasonic ZS50 given zoom advantage
• Sports: Slight edge ZS50 on burst, but neither ideal
• Street: ZS50 favored for portability and stealth
• Macro: Olympus for dedicated optics; ZS50 for casual use
• Night/Astro: Olympus wins on noise and exposure
• Video: Panasonic only option, with adequate HD quality
• Travel: Panasonic leads for sheer convenience
• Pro Work: Olympus probably the better foundational tool

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

If you’re passionate about image quality, opting for a body with a larger sensor and access to diverse lenses, the Olympus E-510 is a reliable choice - especially for portrait and landscape photographers willing to embrace a classic DSLR experience. Its decent build and image stabilization still offer value today, especially when paired with well-regarded Four Thirds lenses.

However, if you crave one camera that does it all on the fly, especially for street, travel, and casual wildlife photography, the Panasonic Lumix ZS50 is a nimble, flexible all-rounder. Its powerful zoom, electronic viewfinder, and video capabilities make it a compelling compact option - plus modern features like Wi-Fi provide streamlined sharing.

Ultimately, your choice pivots around your creative priorities and shooting style.

• Go for Olympus E-510:
  If you want a solid DSLR experience, prioritize image quality, and enjoy swapping lenses to suit niches like portraits, landscapes, and macros.

• Choose Panasonic ZS50:
  If versatility, portability, and convenience top your list, with respectable image quality and video performance in a compact package.

Whichever you pick, both cameras tell stories of their eras’ technology and approaches - it’s been a joy revisiting them through my lenses. And hey, if you’re hunting for newer options, consider modern mirrorless cameras that blend the E-510’s image quality with ZS50’s compactness and features, but there’s something charming about these two that’s all their own.

Happy shooting, and may your next frame be your best yet!