Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic SZ5

Below is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic SZ5, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 was brought out 16 months later than the SZ5 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-M1 scores versus the SZ5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 has external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has specifications of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic SZ5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 compared to the SZ5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and SZ5 is 71 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching specifications. The visual underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and SZ5.

Plainly, each of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 will provide you with extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.