Olympus E-M1 vs Panasonic ZS50

Here is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic ZS50, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and ZS50 (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and ZS50 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 was brought out 14 months earlier than the ZS50 which makes them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-M1 scores vs the ZS50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 provides exterior dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS50 has dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic ZS50 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 and the ZS50.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and ZS50 is 71 and 90 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing just by looking through specifications. The graphic here may give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and ZS50.

To sum up, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 will result in more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-M1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.