Olympus E410 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus E410 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 are both DSLRs announced in 2007, built around the same Micro 4/3 lens mount and Micro Four Thirds sensor format. That shared mount means you can build one lens collection and move it between the two bodies. They arrived within months of each other, the E410 in March and the L10 in August.

The E410 is the lighter and more compact carry: 435 g against 556 g for the L10, and 130 x 91 x 53 mm against 135 x 96 x 78 mm. The L10 is 121 g heavier and has a deeper body, a difference in proportions rather than a class distinction between them.

Resolution gives neither camera a practical edge for prints or crops. The E410 offers 10 MP and the L10 10.1 MP, a gap of 0.1 MP, so the L10 has only about 1 percent more pixels. The sensors carry different type names, NMOS in the E410 and Live MOS in the L10, but the sensor format is shared.

The matched shooting limits suit both cameras to the same kinds of stills work. Both offer 3 fps continuous shooting, 3 autofocus points, a 1/4000 second maximum shutter speed, and a 100 to 1600 ISO range. Neither has in-body stabilisation, so sharp handheld work in dim light depends on the lens or a tripod with either body. Each uses an optical pentamirror viewfinder.

Neither camera records video or offers a built-in timelapse mode. Anyone who wants movie clips or in-camera timelapse from the same body will have to look elsewhere, since both are stills-only DSLRs. For photographers shooting stills only, nothing is lost with either choice.

The Lumix DMC-L10 is the better pick for waist-level shooting, macros and odd-angle work because it has a flip screen, while the E410's LCD is fixed. Live view is shared, so you can compose on the screen with both cameras, but only the L10 lets you tilt that screen toward the subject. The L10 also supports wifi, which the E410 lacks, giving it a wireless route to image transfer.

The two displays are otherwise close: both are 2.5 inch LCDs, with the E410 showing 215000 dots against 207000 on the L10. Both cameras have a built-in flash and support external flash, and both lack GPS, weather sealing, touch control and Bluetooth.

The E410 is the stronger choice for long days away from a computer, because its rated battery life of 500 shots beats the L10's 450 shots. Both figures come from their standard test conditions, and neither camera charges over USB. Each uses its own battery pack, the BLS-1 in the E410 and the DMW-BLB13 in the L10.

Card storage is a clear split in favour of flexibility on the E410. It has dual slots and accepts Compact Flash Type I or II plus xD Picture Card, while the L10 takes SD, SDHC and MMC in a single slot. If you already own SD cards, the L10 is the easier system to feed; the E410 suits anyone who prefers Compact Flash.