Olympus SP-100 vs Panasonic ZS40

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus SP-100 versus Panasonic ZS40, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SP-100 (16MP) and the ZS40 (18MP) is pretty comparable and they feature the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SP-100 was manufactured at a similar time to the ZS40 so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a complete comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the SP-100 scores vs the ZS40 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-100 features external dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") having a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS40 has sizing 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 SP-100 versus Panasonic ZS40 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the SP-100 and the ZS40.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SP-100 and ZS40 is 63 and 90 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizing simply by checking out a spec sheet. The visual below might provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-100 and ZS40.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different megapixels. You can expect the Panasonic ZS40 to provide more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively.