Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic FZ1000, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the FZ1000 (20MP) is pretty close but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 (1") posses different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 was introduced 3 years before the FZ1000 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-M5 grades versus the FZ1000 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 offers outer dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ1000 has proportions of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") with a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic FZ1000 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 compared to the FZ1000.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and FZ1000 is 81 and 55 respectively.

Generally, its hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements merely by researching specs. The photograph here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and FZ1000.

All in all, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FZ1000 will provide you with extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The older E-M5 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.