Olympus 7040 vs Panasonic ZS40

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus 7040 and Panasonic ZS40, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the 7040 (14MP) and ZS40 (18MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The 7040 was brought out 5 years earlier than the ZS40 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief overview of how the 7040 matches up against the ZS40 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 7040 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 7040 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus 7040 comes with outer 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 ZS40 has measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 7040 and Panasonic ZS40 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the 7040 versus the ZS40.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 7040 and ZS40 is 95 and 90 respectively.

Normally, its tough to see the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading technical specs. The photograph below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the 7040 and ZS40.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same resolution. You should count on the Panasonic ZS40 to deliver extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older 7040 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.