Olympus 5010 vs Panasonic FZ300

Here is a complete assessment of the Olympus 5010 and Panasonic FZ300, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the 5010 (14MP) and the FZ300 (12MP) is pretty well matched and they feature the exact same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The 5010 was released 6 years before the FZ300 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the 5010 matches up versus the FZ300 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 5010 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 5010 Gallery and Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 5010 has outside measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ300 has dimensions of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") with a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 5010 and Panasonic FZ300 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the 5010 compared to the FZ300.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 5010 and FZ300 is 96 and 59 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by reading through a spec sheet. The visual below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the 5010 and FZ300.

As you can see, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You should expect the Olympus 5010 to give you greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older 5010 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.