Olympus E-M5 III vs Panasonic ZS50

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.

Photography Glossary

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.

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.

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.

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.