Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic ZS20

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-M5 II versus Panasonic ZS20, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the ZS20 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and ZS20 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-M5 II was manufactured 2 years after the ZS20 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS20 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-M5 II grades against the ZS20 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 II and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 II Gallery and Panasonic ZS20 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 II has outside dimensions of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") with a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS20 has proportions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 II versus Panasonic ZS20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 II compared to the ZS20.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 II and ZS20 is 80 and 92 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by looking at specs. The picture underneath may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 II and ZS20.

All in all, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 II due to its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-M5 II will give you more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos far more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 II will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.