Olympus E-M1 II vs Panasonic ZS20

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic ZS20, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and ZS20 (14MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and ZS20 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 II was brought out 4 years later than the ZS20 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-M1 II matches up against the ZS20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery and Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 II features outside dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") along with a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS20 has measurements of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M1 II versus Panasonic ZS20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 II versus the ZS20.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 II and ZS20 is 68 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizing just by reading specifications. The visual here should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 II and ZS20.

To sum up, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 II due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will offer extra detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-M1 II provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.