Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50
80 Imaging
61 Features
88 Overall
71


90 Imaging
37 Features
57 Overall
45
Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 414g - 125 x 85 x 50mm
- Revealed October 2019
- Previous Model is Olympus E-M5 II
- Replacement is OM System OM-5
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-720mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
- 243g - 111 x 65 x 34mm
- Revealed January 2015
- Other Name is Lumix DMC-TZ70
- Superseded the Panasonic ZS45
- Refreshed by Panasonic ZS60

Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Overview
On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-M5 III versus Panasonic ZS50, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and ZS50 (12MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and ZS50 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizes.

The E-M5 III was brought out 4 years later than the ZS50 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera.
Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-M5 III scores versus the ZS50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 III & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 III Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Panasonic ZS50
E-M5 III | ZS50 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | October 2019 | ![]() | January 2015 | Fresher by 59 months |
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS50 over the Olympus E-M5 III
ZS50 | E-M5 III |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Panasonic ZS50
E-M5 III | ZS50 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal display dimensions |
Display resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 1040k | Exact same display resolution |
Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 III enjoys outer measurements of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") and a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS50 has proportions of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-M5 III versus Panasonic ZS50 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M5 III versus the ZS50.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 III and ZS50 is 80 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The graphic here will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 III and ZS50.
All in all, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 III featuring a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M5 III will provide more detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-M5 III will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 III | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 |
Alternate name | - | Lumix DMC-TZ70 |
Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
Revealed | 2019-10-17 | 2015-01-06 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePic VIII | - |
Sensor type | MOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.4 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 226.2mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW images | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 121 | 23 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 24-720mm (30.0x) |
Max aperture | - | f/3.3-6.4 |
Macro focus distance | - | 3cm |
Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Screen resolution | 1,040 thousand dots | 1,040 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dots | 1,166 thousand dots |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.68x | 0.46x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 4 seconds |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
Fastest silent shutter speed | 1/32000 seconds | - |
Continuous shutter rate | 30.0 frames per second | 10.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 6.40 m |
Flash options | Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Fastest flash synchronize | 1/250 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/30p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p), 640 x 480 (30p) |
Max video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 414 grams (0.91 lbs) | 243 grams (0.54 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") | 111 x 65 x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | 44 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 20.0 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.2 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 138 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 310 photographs | 300 photographs |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch price | $1,199 | $350 |