Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS7

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-510 versus Panasonic ZS7, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the ZS7 (12MP) is very close but the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ZS7 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was launched 4 years prior to the ZS7 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera 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 ZS7 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-510 grades vs the ZS7 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-510 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 provides outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS7 has proportions of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-510 versus Panasonic ZS7 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-510 versus the ZS7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and ZS7 is 69 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by researching a spec sheet. The picture below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and ZS7.

Clearly, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 featuring a larger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic ZS7 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics a little more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.