Olympus 8000 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus 8000 vs Panasonic FZ2500, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and FZ2500 (20MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and FZ2500 (1") use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The 8000 was revealed 8 years earlier than the FZ2500 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief overview of how the 8000 scores against the FZ2500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera, you should consider its weight and size. The Olympus 8000 provides external dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") having a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ2500 has specifications of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") along with a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus 8000 vs Panasonic FZ2500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the 8000 versus the FZ2500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 8000 and FZ2500 is 94 and 53 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by going through technical specs. The visual here will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 8000 and FZ2500.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 8000 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic FZ2500 will show more detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older 8000 will be behind in sensor technology.