Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic LX5

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-M10 and Panasonic LX5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the E-M10 (16MP) and LX5 (10MP) and the E-M10 (Four Thirds) and LX5 (1/1.63") boast different sensor sizing.

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The E-M10 was revealed 2 years later than the LX5 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M10 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LX5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-M10 matches up versus the LX5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M10 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M10 Gallery & Panasonic LX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M10 features outer dimensions of 119mm x 82mm x 46mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 1.8") with a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs) while the Panasonic LX5 has specifications of 110mm x 65mm x 43mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M10 and Panasonic LX5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M10 and the LX5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M10 and LX5 is 82 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizing only by reading through specifications. The visual here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M10 and LX5.

To sum up, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M10 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M10 will give extra detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics way more aggressively. The newer E-M10 provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.