Olympus 7040 vs Panasonic SZ5

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus 7040 and Panasonic SZ5, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the 7040 (14MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is fairly comparable and both cameras provide the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The 7040 was released 3 years before the SZ5 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summary of how the 7040 scores against the SZ5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 7040 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus 7040 Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus 7040 has got external dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ5 has measurements of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 7040 and Panasonic SZ5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the 7040 versus the SZ5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 7040 and SZ5 is 95 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to picture the contrast in sensor measurements purely by checking out specs. The graphic underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the 7040 and SZ5.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature the identical sensor size and the same MP and you should expect comparable quality of photographs though you will want to take the release date of the cameras into account. The older 7040 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.