Olympus FE-3010 vs Panasonic SZ1

Following is a detailed comparison of the Olympus FE-3010 versus Panasonic SZ1, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the FE-3010 (12MP) and SZ1 (16MP) but they possess the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The FE-3010 was unveiled 4 years earlier than the SZ1 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus FE-3010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the FE-3010 grades against the SZ1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-3010 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The full galleries are available at Olympus FE-3010 Gallery and Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-3010 has outer dimensions of 93mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 108 grams (0.24 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ1 has measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

See the Olympus FE-3010 versus Panasonic SZ1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the FE-3010 compared to the SZ1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-3010 and SZ1 is 97 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading a spec sheet. The pic below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the FE-3010 and SZ1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Panasonic SZ1 to offer you greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged FE-3010 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.