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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15

Portability
80
Imaging
53
Features
84
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 front
Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
37
Overall
36

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 469g - 124 x 85 x 45mm
  • Revealed February 2015
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-M5
  • Updated by Olympus E-M5 III
Panasonic ZS15
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-384mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 208g - 105 x 58 x 33mm
  • Announced June 2012
  • Also Known as Lumix DMC-TZ25
  • Refreshed by Panasonic ZS20
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Overview

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic ZS15, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the E-M5 II (16MP) and ZS15 (12MP) and the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and ZS15 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-M5 II was released 2 years later than the ZS15 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-M5 II scores against the ZS15 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Panasonic ZS15

 E-M5 II ZS15 
AnnouncedFebruary 2015June 2012More recent by 32 months
Manually focus More exact focusing
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1037k460kSharper screen (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS15 over the Olympus E-M5 II

 ZS15 E-M5 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic ZS15

 E-M5 II ZS15 
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurement

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 II comes with outside dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") having a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic ZS15 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-M5 II vs the ZS15.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 II and ZS15 is 80 and 92 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be hard to picture the contrast in sensor measurements only by seeing technical specs. The visual underneath should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 II and ZS15.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 II because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-M5 II will show greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The younger E-M5 II should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Portrait photography factors
Panasonic ZS15 Portrait photography factors
71
manual focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
provides face detect focus
delivers RAW formats
21
no manual focus
cannot use external flash
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Street photography camera
Panasonic ZS15 as a Street photography camera
82
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
provides focus by touch
environment proof
good high ISO (25,600)
61
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than others (208g)
screen is fixed
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Sports photography info
Panasonic ZS15 Sports photography info
65
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
quiet shooting (1/16,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
environment proof
not so great battery life (310 shots)
lacks phase detect auto focus
36
long zoom range (24-384mm 16.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
supports tracking focus
slow frames per second (2.0 fps)
megapixel count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
low battery (260 per charge)
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Travel photography camera
Panasonic ZS15 as a Travel photography camera
74
environment proof
provides focus by touch
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
selfie friendly screen
not so great battery life (310 shots)
61
lighter than others (208 grams)
has built in flash
really wide (24mm)
great reach (384mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
low battery (260 CIPA)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic ZS15 as a Landscape photography camera
74
manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
good high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
not so great battery life (310 CIPA)
37
really wide (24mm)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
low battery (260 shots)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic ZS15 as a Vlogging camera
82
selfie friendly screen
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detect focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have microphone jack
33
really wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than others (208 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
screen is not selfie friendly
doesn't have mic socket
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS15 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 II and Panasonic ZS15
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIPanasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15
Also called - Lumix DMC-TZ25
Category Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2015-02-06 2012-06-29
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VII -
Sensor type MOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW photos
Min boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 81 23
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 24-384mm (16.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.3-5.9
Macro focusing range - 3cm
Available lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dots 460 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 secs 15 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/4000 secs
Maximum silent shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames per sec 2.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 6.40 m
Flash options Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 640 x 480 (30p) 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic port
Headphone port
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
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 469 grams (1.03 pounds) 208 grams (0.46 pounds)
Physical dimensions 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") 105 x 58 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 73 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 896 not tested
Other
Battery life 310 images 260 images
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Launch cost $699 $279