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Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic L10

The Olympus Evolt E-500 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in September 2005 and August 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 8 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 10 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications
Olympus E-500
versus
Panasonic L10
Olympus E-500   Panasonic L10
Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses Four Thirds lenses
8 MP – Four Thirds sensor 10 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video no Video
ISO 100-400 (100 - 1,600) ISO 100-1,600
Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 215k dots 2.5" LCD – 207k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive) Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
2.5 shutter flaps per second 3 shutter flaps per second
750 shots per battery charge450 shots per battery charge
130 x 95 x 66 mm, 479 g 135 x 96 x 78 mm, 556 g
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus Evolt E-500 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

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Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-500 and the Panasonic L10 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic L10
Compare E-500 versus L10 top
Comparison E-500 or L10 rear

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic L10 is somewhat larger (5 percent) than the Olympus E-500. Moreover, the L10 is markedly heavier (16 percent) than the E-500. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-500 nor the L10 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

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Body Specifications
  empty Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-500 130 mm 95 mm 66 mm 479 g 750 n Sep 2005 EUR 599ebay.com
2.
 
Panasonic L10 135 mm 96 mm 78 mm 556 g 450 n Aug 2007 EUR 599ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-300 147 mm 85 mm 64 mm 624 g 750 n Sep 2004 EUR 799ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-330 140 mm 87 mm 72 mm 637 g 750 n Jan 2006 EUR 999ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-400 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Sep 2006 EUR 699ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-410 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Mar 2007 EUR 699ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-420 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2008 EUR 499ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-450 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2009 EUR 449ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-510 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 538 g 750 n Mar 2007 EUR 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-520 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 535 g 750 n May 2008 EUR 599ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic G1 124 mm 84 mm 45 mm 360 g 410 n Sep 2008 EUR 499ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic L1 146 mm 87 mm 64 mm 606 g 750 n Feb 2006 EUR 999ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Olympus E-500 and Panasonic L10 sensor measures

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the L10 offers a higher resolution of 10 megapixels, compared with 8 MP of the E-500. This megapixels advantage translates into a 12 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the L10 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.74μm versus 5.30μm for the E-500). However, it should be noted that the L10 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 11 months) than the E-500, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Panasonic L10 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the L10 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-500 are 16.3 x 12.2 inches or 41.5 x 31.1 cm for good quality, 13.1 x 9.8 inches or 33.2 x 24.9 cm for very good quality, and 10.9 x 8.2 inches or 27.6 x 20.7 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus Evolt E-500 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 400, which can be extended to ISO 100-1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 are ISO 100 to ISO 1600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the E-500 is build around a CCD sensor, while the L10 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

E-500 versus L10 MP

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
  empty Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Olympus E-500 Four Thirds 8.0 3264 2448none20.710.34551
2.
 
Panasonic L10 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.310.842955
3.
 
Olympus E-300 Four Thirds 8.0 3264 2448none20.410.1-4048
4.
 
Olympus E-330 Four Thirds 7.4 3136 2352none20.810.47352
5.
 
Olympus E-400 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.010.612753
6.
 
Olympus E-410 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.110.049451
7.
 
Olympus E-420 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.452756
8.
 
Olympus E-450 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.551256
9.
 
Olympus E-510 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.210.044252
10.
 
Olympus E-520 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.410.454855
11.
 
Panasonic G1 Four Thirds 12.0 4000 3000none21.110.346353
12.
 
Panasonic L1 Four Thirds 7.4 3136 2352none20.810.48052
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
The L10 offers Live View, so that it can project the live image that the sensor receives onto the rear screen for framing. The E-500 lacks this capability. Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.
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Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-500 and the L10 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the L10 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-500 (0.46x vs 0.45x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-500, the Panasonic L10, and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
  empty Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Olympus E-500optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
2.
 
Panasonic L10optical n2.5 / 207 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
3.
 
Olympus E-300optical n1.8 / 134 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
4.
 
Olympus E-330optical n2.5 / 215 tilting n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
5.
 
Olympus E-400optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
6.
 
Olympus E-410optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
7.
 
Olympus E-420optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
8.
 
Olympus E-450optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
9.
 
Olympus E-510optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Olympus E-520optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y Y
11.
 
Panasonic G11440 n3.0 / 460 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
12.
 
Panasonic L1optical n2.5 / 207 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
The L10 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-500 does not have a selfie-screen.

The E-500 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the L10 uses SDHC cards. The E-500 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the L10 only has one slot.

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Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus Evolt E-500 and Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
  empty Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Olympus E-500Y- / ----2.0---
2.
 
Panasonic L10Y- / ----2.0---
3.
 
Olympus E-300Y- / ----2.0---
4.
 
Olympus E-330Y- / ----2.0---
5.
 
Olympus E-400Y- / ----2.0---
6.
 
Olympus E-410Y- / ----2.0---
7.
 
Olympus E-420Y- / ----2.0---
8.
 
Olympus E-450Y- / ----2.0---
9.
 
Olympus E-510Y- / ----2.0---
10.
 
Olympus E-520Y- / ----2.0---
11.
 
Panasonic G1Y- / ---mini2.0---
12.
 
Panasonic L1Y- / ----2.0---

Both the E-500 and the L10 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-500 was replaced by the Olympus E-510, while the L10 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the E-500 and L10 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-500 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic L10 Manual.

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Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-500 or the Panasonic L10 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

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Reasons to prefer the Olympus Evolt E-500:

  • Less heavy: Is lighter (by 77g or 14 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
  • Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 450) on a single battery charge.
  • Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
  • More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in September 2005).

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Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (10 vs 8MP), which boosts linear resolution by 12%.
  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.46x vs 0.45x).
  • More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
  • More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
  • Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
  • More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 11 months) more recently.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the L10 emerges as the winner of the match-up (6 : 4 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

E-500 04:06 L10

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-500 and the Panasonic L10 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-500 and the L10 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

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Expert Camera Reviews
  empty  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-500..76/100..+ +.... Sep 2005 EUR 599ebay.com
2.
 
Panasonic L10..85/100..+3.5/54/5 Aug 2007 EUR 599ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-300......+o4.5/5 Sep 2004 EUR 799ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-330......+o.. Jan 2006 EUR 999ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-400..85/100....4/54/5 Sep 2006 EUR 699ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-410..86/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2007 EUR 699ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-420..85/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2008 EUR 499ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-450........4/54/5 Mar 2009 EUR 449ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-510..89/100..+ +3.5/54.5/5 Mar 2007 EUR 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-520..87/100..+ +4.5/54.5/5 May 2008 EUR 599ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic G1..+ +..70/1004/54.5/5 Sep 2008 EUR 499ebay.com
12.
 
Panasonic L1..85/100..+..3.5/5 Feb 2006 EUR 999ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications: Olympus E-500 vs Panasonic L10

    Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

    Camera Specifications
    Camera Model Olympus E-500 Panasonic L10
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Four Thirds lenses Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date September 2005 August 2007
    Launch Price USD 599 USD 599
    Sensor Specs Olympus E-500 Panasonic L10
    Sensor Technology CCD CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor Four Thirds Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm 17.3 x 13.0 mm
    Sensor Area 224.9 mm2 224.9 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm 21.6 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x 2.0x
    Sensor Resolution 8 Megapixels 10 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3264 x 2448 pixels 3648 x 2736 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 5.30 μm 4.74 μm
    Pixel Density 3.55 MP/cm2 4.44 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video no Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 400 ISO 100 - 1,600 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 1,600 ISO no Enhancement
    Image Processor TruePic Venus
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) .. 55
    DXO Color Depth (bits) .. 21.3
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) .. 10.8
    DXO Low Light (ISO) .. 429
    Screen Specs Olympus E-500 Panasonic L10
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95% 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.45x 0.46x
    LCD Framing Live View
    Rear LCD Size 2.5inch 2.5inch
    LCD Resolution 215k dots 207k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen Swivel screen
    Shooting Specs Olympus E-500 Panasonic L10
    Focus System Phase-detect AF Phase-detect AF
    Continuous Shooting 2.5 shutter flaps/s 3 shutter flaps/s
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF or XD cards SDHC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots Single card slot
    Connectivity Specs Olympus E-500 Panasonic L10
    External Flash Hotshoe Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0 USB 2.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI no HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi no Wifi
    Body Specs Olympus E-500 Panasonic L10
    Battery Type Olympus BLM-1 Panasonic DMW-BLA13
    Battery Life (CIPA)750 shots per charge450 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 130 x 95 x 66 mm
    (5.1 x 3.7 x 2.6 in)
    135 x 96 x 78 mm
    (5.3 x 3.8 x 3.1 in)
    Camera Weight 479 g (16.9 oz) 556 g (19.6 oz)
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