Olympus E-620 vs Panasonic SZ1

Here, we are looking at the Olympus E-620 and Panasonic SZ1, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-620 (12MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-620 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-620 was revealed 3 years prior to the SZ1 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-620 being a Compact SLR camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-620 matches up vs the SZ1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-620 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-620 Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-620 enjoys exterior dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.4") having a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ1 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-620 and Panasonic SZ1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-620 vs the SZ1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-620 and SZ1 is 71 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions just by checking a spec sheet. The pic here will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-620 and SZ1.

As you can see, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-620 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic SZ1 will give greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-620 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.