Olympus 5010 vs Panasonic LZ40

Lets look closer at the Olympus 5010 and Panasonic LZ40, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the 5010 (14MP) and LZ40 (20MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The 5010 was announced 5 years before the LZ40 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a concise summary of how the 5010 scores versus the LZ40 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 5010 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The whole galleries are available at Olympus 5010 Gallery & Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 5010 features physical dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LZ40 has dimensions of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") having a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 5010 and Panasonic LZ40 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the 5010 compared to the LZ40.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the 5010 and LZ40 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to picture the difference between sensor sizes purely by going over specifications. The picture below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 5010 and LZ40.

To sum up, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You can expect the Panasonic LZ40 to deliver greater detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged 5010 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.