Olympus 550WP vs Panasonic G10

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus 550WP versus Panasonic G10, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the 550WP (10MP) and the G10 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the 550WP (1/2.3") and G10 (Four Thirds) offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The 550WP was brought out 19 months prior to the G10 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G10 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short view of how the 550WP scores against the G10 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 550WP and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 550WP Gallery and Panasonic G10 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus 550WP enjoys external dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G10 has measurements of 124mm x 90mm x 74mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 2.9") and a weight of 388 grams (0.86 lbs).

Check the Olympus 550WP versus Panasonic G10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the 550WP versus the G10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 550WP and G10 is 94 and 72 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing specs. The photograph here will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the 550WP and G10.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 550WP because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic G10 will provide more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older 550WP will be behind in sensor tech.