Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic FZ80

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FZ80, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the FZ80 (18MP) is very well matched but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 was introduced 5 years earlier than the FZ80 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-M5 scores vs the FZ80 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 has exterior 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 FZ80 has measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 and Panasonic FZ80 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 compared to the FZ80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and FZ80 is 81 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at specifications. The photograph below will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and FZ80.

To sum up, both of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 using its larger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Panasonic FZ80 will resolve more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-M5 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.