Olympus E-5 vs Panasonic FZ47

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic FZ47, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the FZ47 (12MP) is pretty close but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and FZ47 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was released 5 months before the FZ47 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Panasonic FZ47 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-5 scores versus the FZ47 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ47 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 features physical dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ47 has measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") having a weight of 498 grams (1.10 lbs).

See the Olympus E-5 and Panasonic FZ47 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-5 vs the FZ47.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and FZ47 is 58 and 68 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to picture the gap in sensor dimensions simply by looking through technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-5 and FZ47.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras have the same MP albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-5 contains the bigger sensor which should make getting shallower depth of field easier.