Olympus 7040 vs Panasonic FZ80

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus 7040 versus Panasonic FZ80, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the 7040 (14MP) and FZ80 (18MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The 7040 was released 8 years prior to the FZ80 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 7040 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the 7040 matches up vs the FZ80 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 7040 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus 7040 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus 7040 provides exterior dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ80 has measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") and a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Olympus 7040 versus Panasonic FZ80 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the 7040 compared to the FZ80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the 7040 and FZ80 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements only by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the 7040 and FZ80.

As you can see, both of the cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Panasonic FZ80 to show greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older 7040 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.