Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS8

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS8, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and ZS8 (14MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ZS8 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was announced 4 years before the ZS8 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic ZS8 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-510 scores vs the ZS8 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS8. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Panasonic ZS8 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-510 enjoys 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 ZS8 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 210 grams (0.46 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-510 vs Panasonic ZS8 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-510 vs the ZS8.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and ZS8 is 69 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at technical specs. The graphic underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-510 and ZS8.

As you have seen, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-510 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic ZS8 will resolve greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-510 is going to be behind in sensor tech.