Olympus FE-45 vs Panasonic ZS5

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus FE-45 and Panasonic ZS5, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the FE-45 (10MP) and the ZS5 (12MP) is fairly similar and both cameras have the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The FE-45 was announced 17 months before the ZS5 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the FE-45 grades against the ZS5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus FE-45 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus FE-45 Gallery and Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-45 comes with physical measurements of 94mm x 62mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS5 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-45 and Panasonic ZS5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the FE-45 and the ZS5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the FE-45 and ZS5 is 95 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The photograph here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the FE-45 and ZS5.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You should anticipate the Panasonic ZS5 to offer more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older FE-45 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.