Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5
71 Imaging
53 Features
85 Overall
65
92 Imaging
35 Features
30 Overall
33
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
- Launched October 2013
- Successor is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-300mm (F3.3-4.9) lens
- 214g - 103 x 60 x 32mm
- Announced June 2010
- Additionally referred to as Lumix DMC-TZ8
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In this write-up, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and ZS5 (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and ZS5 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe E-M1 was manufactured 3 years after the ZS5 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS5 being a Compact camera.
Before we go straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-M1 matches up vs the ZS5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS5 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Panasonic ZS5
| E-M1 | ZS5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2013 |  | June 2010 | More modern by 41 months |
| Manually focus |  | Very accurate focusing | ||
| Display type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting display |
| Display sizing | 3" |  | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
| Display resolution | 1037k |  | 230k | Crisper display (+807k dot) |
| Touch display |  | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS5 over the Olympus E-M1
| ZS5 | E-M1 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic ZS5
| E-M1 | ZS5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selfie screen |  | Neither has selfie screen |
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5 Physical Comparison
If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 has outer dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS5 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the E-M1 compared to the ZS5.
Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and ZS5 is 71 and 92 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it is hard to envision the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading technical specs. The pic here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and ZS5.
As you can tell, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M1 will deliver extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS5 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Panasonic |
| Model | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 |
| Otherwise known as | - | Lumix DMC-TZ8 |
| Class | Pro Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Launched | 2013-10-28 | 2010-06-16 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePIC VII | Venus Engine HD II |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.08 x 4.56mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 27.7mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 12MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 81 | 11 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | - | 25-300mm (12.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/3.3-4.9 |
| Macro focus distance | - | 3cm |
| Total lenses | 107 | - |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.9 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
| Resolution of screen | 1,037k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/1300s |
| Continuous shutter speed | 10.0 frames per sec | 2.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 5.30 m |
| Flash modes | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/320s | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 497g (1.10 lbs) | 214g (0.47 lbs) |
| Dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 103 x 60 x 32mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 73 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth score | 23.0 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.7 | not tested |
| DXO Low light score | 757 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 shots | - |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery model | BLN-1 | - |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Launch pricing | $799 | $300 |