Olympus E-510 vs Pentax RZ18

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-510 versus Pentax RZ18, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and RZ18 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was revealed 4 years earlier than the RZ18 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-510 matches up versus the RZ18 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 & Pentax Optio RZ18. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 provides outer 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) whilst the Pentax RZ18 has sizing of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-510 versus Pentax RZ18 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-510 and the RZ18.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and RZ18 is 69 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions only by looking through technical specs. The picture here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-510 and RZ18.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax RZ18 will render greater detail because of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.