Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic ZS7

In this article, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic ZS7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M10 (16MP) and ZS7 (12MP) and the E-M10 (Four Thirds) and ZS7 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizes.

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The E-M10 was launched 2 years later than the ZS7 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-M10 grades against the ZS7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M10 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M10 Gallery & Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M10 features physical dimensions of 119mm x 82mm x 46mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 1.8") having a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS7 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M10 vs Panasonic ZS7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-M10 against the ZS7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M10 and ZS7 is 82 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor measurements only by researching a spec sheet. The visual below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M10 and ZS7.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M10 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M10 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more modern E-M10 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.