Olympus VH-515 vs Panasonic LZ40

Below is a extensive assessment of the Olympus VH-515 and Panasonic LZ40, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and LZ40 (20MP) but they come with the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The VH-515 was launched 16 months before the LZ40 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the VH-515 scores vs the LZ40 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VH-515 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Panasonic LZ40 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VH-515 offers exterior dimensions of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Panasonic LZ40 has specifications of 126mm x 87mm x 94mm (5.0" x 3.4" x 3.7") with a weight of 524 grams (1.16 lbs).

Check the Olympus VH-515 and Panasonic LZ40 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the VH-515 and the LZ40.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VH-515 and LZ40 is 95 and 67 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements just by checking technical specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the VH-515 and LZ40.

As you have seen, each of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can count on the Panasonic LZ40 to give extra detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older VH-515 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.