Olympus 8010 vs Panasonic ZS100

Lets look more closely at the Olympus 8010 vs Panasonic ZS100, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the 8010 (13MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the 8010 (1/2.3") and ZS100 (1") provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The 8010 was unveiled 7 years before the ZS100 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus 8010 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the 8010 matches up vs the ZS100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 8010 Gallery & Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus 8010 comes with physical dimensions of 98mm x 64mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 8010 vs Panasonic ZS100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the 8010 versus the ZS100.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the 8010 and ZS100 is 92 and 87 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the 8010 and ZS100.

Clearly, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 8010 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic ZS100 will resolve greater detail having an extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older 8010 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.