Olympus 5010 vs Panasonic ZS200

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus 5010 and Panasonic ZS200, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the 5010 (14MP) and ZS200 (20MP) and the 5010 (1/2.3") and ZS200 (1") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The 5010 was announced 9 years before the ZS200 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief summary of how the 5010 grades against the ZS200 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 5010 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The whole galleries are available at Olympus 5010 Gallery & Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus 5010 has got outer dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS200 has measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") with a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus 5010 and Panasonic ZS200 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the 5010 versus the ZS200.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the 5010 and ZS200 is 96 and 86 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to see the difference between sensor sizing merely by reading technical specs. The visual below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 5010 and ZS200.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 5010 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Panasonic ZS200 will deliver more detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots much more aggressively. The older 5010 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.