Olympus E-M10 II vs Panasonic ZR1

Below is a thorough review of the Olympus E-M10 II and Panasonic ZR1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-M10 II (16MP) and ZR1 (12MP) and the E-M10 II (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-M10 II was unveiled 6 years later than the ZR1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-M10 II matches up versus the ZR1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M10 II and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M10 II Gallery and Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M10 II has got physical measurements of 120mm x 83mm x 47mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 390 grams (0.86 lbs) and the Panasonic ZR1 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M10 II and Panasonic ZR1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-M10 II and the ZR1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M10 II and ZR1 is 82 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to see the gap in sensor measurements just by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M10 II and ZR1.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M10 II having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M10 II will result in greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent E-M10 II is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.