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Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic L10

The Olympus Evolt E-330 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in January 2006 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 7.4 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-330
versus
Panasonic L10
Olympus E-330   Panasonic L10
Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses Four Thirds lenses
7.4 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
Tilting screen (no touchscreen) Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second 3 shutter flaps per second
750 shots per battery charge450 shots per battery charge
140 x 87 x 72 mm, 637 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-330 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

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-330 and the Panasonic L10 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Size Olympus E-330 vs Panasonic L10
Compare E-330 versus L10 top
Comparison E-330 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 notably larger (6 percent) than the Olympus E-330. However, the L10 is markedly lighter (13 percent) than the E-330. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-330 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. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
# image Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-330 140 mm 87 mm 72 mm 637 g 750 n Jan 2006 999ebay.com
2.
 
Panasonic L10 135 mm 96 mm 78 mm 556 g 450 n Aug 2007 599ebay.com
3.
 
Canon XT 127 mm 94 mm 64 mm 540 g 400 n Feb 2005 899ebay.com
4.
 
Leica Digilux 3 146 mm 87 mm 77 mm 606 g 750 n Sep 2006 1,499ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D80 132 mm 103 mm 77 mm 668 g 600 n Aug 2006 999ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-420 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 440 g 500 n Mar 2008 599ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-520 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 535 g 750 n May 2008 699ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-410 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Mar 2007 699ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-510 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 538 g 750 n Mar 2007 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-400 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Sep 2006 699ebay.com
11.
 
Olympus E-500 130 mm 95 mm 66 mm 479 g 750 n Sep 2005 599ebay.com
12.
 
Olympus E-300 147 mm 85 mm 64 mm 624 g 750 n Sep 2004 799ebay.com
13.
 
Panasonic G10 124 mm 84 mm 74 mm 388 g 380 n Mar 2010 499ebay.com
14.
 
Panasonic L1 146 mm 87 mm 64 mm 606 g 750 n Feb 2006 999ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The L10 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 40 percent) than the E-330, which puts it into a different 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 generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras 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-330 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 7.4 MP of the E-330. This megapixels advantage translates into a 16 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 5.51μm for the E-330). However, it should be noted that the L10 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 7 months) than the E-330, 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-330 are 15.7 x 11.8 inches or 39.8 x 29.9 cm for good quality, 12.5 x 9.4 inches or 31.9 x 23.9 cm for very good quality, and 10.5 x 7.8 inches or 26.6 x 19.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus Evolt E-330 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).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. 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-330 versus L10 MP

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. 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
# image Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Olympus E-330 Four Thirds 7.4 3136 2352none20.810.47352
2.
 
Panasonic L10 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.310.842955
3.
 
Canon XT APS-C 8.0 3456 2304none21.810.863760
4.
 
Leica Digilux 3 Four Thirds 7.4 3136 2352none21.010.612753
5.
 
Nikon D80 APS-C 10.0 3872 2592none22.111.252461
6.
 
Olympus E-420 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.510.452756
7.
 
Olympus E-520 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.410.454855
8.
 
Olympus E-410 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.110.049451
9.
 
Olympus E-510 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.210.044252
10.
 
Olympus E-400 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.010.612753
11.
 
Olympus E-500 Four Thirds 8.0 3264 2448none20.710.34551
12.
 
Olympus E-300 Four Thirds 8.0 3264 2448none20.410.1-4048
13.
 
Panasonic G10 Four Thirds 12.0 4000 3000720/30p21.210.141152
14.
 
Panasonic L1 Four Thirds 7.4 3136 2352none20.810.48052
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Both the E-330 and the L10 offer Live View, so that they make it possible to use the rear screen for framing. Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.
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Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-330 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 E-330 has a higher magnification than the one of the L10 (0.47x vs 0.46x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-330 and Panasonic L10 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
# image 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-330optical n2.5 / 215 tilting n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
2.
 
Panasonic L10optical n2.5 / 207 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon XToptical n1.8 / 115 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
4.
 
Leica Digilux 3optical n2.5 / 207 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
5.
 
Nikon D80optical n2.5 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
6.
 
Olympus E-420optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
7.
 
Olympus E-520optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y Y
8.
 
Olympus E-410optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
9.
 
Olympus E-510optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Olympus E-400optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
11.
 
Olympus E-500optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
12.
 
Olympus E-300optical n1.8 / 134 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
13.
 
Panasonic G10202 n3.0 / 460 fixed n 1/4000s 2.6/s Y n
14.
 
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.
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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-330 does not have a selfie-screen.

The E-330 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the L10 uses SDHC cards. The E-330 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-330 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
# image Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Olympus E-330Y- / ----2.0---
2.
 
Panasonic L10Y- / ----2.0---
3.
 
Canon XTY- / ----2.0---
4.
 
Leica Digilux 3Ystereo / mono---2.0---
5.
 
Nikon D80Y- / ----2.0---
6.
 
Olympus E-420Y- / ----2.0---
7.
 
Olympus E-520Y- / ----2.0---
8.
 
Olympus E-410Y- / ----2.0---
9.
 
Olympus E-510Y- / ----2.0---
10.
 
Olympus E-400Y- / ----2.0---
11.
 
Olympus E-500Y- / ----2.0---
12.
 
Olympus E-300Y- / ----2.0---
13.
 
Panasonic G10Ymono / ---mini2.0---
14.
 
Panasonic L1Y- / ----2.0---
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Both the E-330 and the L10 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Olympus and Panasonic. Further information on the features and operation of the E-330 and L10 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-330 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-330 or the Panasonic L10 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

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Advantages of the Olympus Evolt E-330:

  • Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.47x vs 0.46x).
  • 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 January 2006).

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Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10:

  • More detail: Has more megapixels (10 vs 7.4MP), which boosts linear resolution by 16%.
  • 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.
  • Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 81g or 13 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
  • More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (40 percent cheaper at launch).
  • More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 7 months) more recently.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, 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-330 04:06 L10

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-330 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 specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-330 and the L10 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major 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
# image  Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-330......+o.. Jan 2006 999ebay.com
2.
 
Panasonic L10..85/100..+3.5/54/5 Aug 2007 599ebay.com
3.
 
Canon XT..80/100..+ +o.. Feb 2005 899ebay.com
4.
 
Leica Digilux 3............ Sep 2006 1,499ebay.com
5.
 
Nikon D80..+..+ +o4.5/5 Aug 2006 999ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-420..85/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2008 599ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-520..87/100..+ +4.5/54.5/5 May 2008 699ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-410..86/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2007 699ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-510..89/100..+ +3.5/54.5/5 Mar 2007 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-400..85/100....4/54/5 Sep 2006 699ebay.com
11.
 
Olympus E-500..76/100..+ +.... Sep 2005 599ebay.com
12.
 
Olympus E-300......+o4.5/5 Sep 2004 799ebay.com
13.
 
Panasonic G103/5....70/1004/54/5 Mar 2010 499ebay.com
14.
 
Panasonic L1..85/100..+..3.5/5 Feb 2006 999ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Specifications: Olympus E-330 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-330 Panasonic L10
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Four Thirds lenses Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date January 2006 August 2007
    Launch Price USD 999 USD 599
    Sensor Specs Olympus E-330 Panasonic L10
    Sensor Technology CMOS 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 7.4 Megapixels 10 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3136 x 2352 pixels 3648 x 2736 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 5.51 μm 4.74 μm
    Pixel Density 3.28 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-330 Panasonic L10
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95% 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.47x 0.46x
    LCD Framing Live View Live View
    Rear LCD Size 2.5inch 2.5inch
    LCD Resolution 215k dots 207k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen Swivel screen
    Shooting Specs Olympus E-330 Panasonic L10
    Focus System Phase-detect AF Phase-detect AF
    Continuous Shooting 3 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-330 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-330 Panasonic L10
    Battery Type Olympus BLM-1 Panasonic DMW-BLA13
    Battery Life (CIPA)750 shots per charge450 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 140 x 87 x 72 mm
    (5.5 x 3.4 x 2.8 in)
    135 x 96 x 78 mm
    (5.3 x 3.8 x 3.1 in)
    Camera Weight 637 g (22.5 oz) 556 g (19.6 oz)
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