Olympus E-M1 III vs Panasonic SZ5

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-M1 III versus Panasonic SZ5, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and SZ5 (14MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 III was launched 7 years after the SZ5 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-M1 III matches up vs the SZ5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 III offers outer dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has specifications of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") and a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 III versus Panasonic SZ5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 III against the SZ5.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 III and SZ5 is 67 and 95 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions only by checking specifications. The picture underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 III and SZ5.

To sum up, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 III due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 III will give more detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 III will have an edge in sensor tech.