Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic LZ20

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic LZ20, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the LZ20 (16MP) is very close but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and LZ20 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 was announced 2 months earlier than the LZ20 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LZ20 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving through a thorough comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-M5 grades against the LZ20 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ20. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Panasonic LZ20 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you should think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 features external dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic LZ20 has sizing of 120mm x 76mm x 80mm (4.7" x 3.0" x 3.1") with a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic LZ20 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the E-M5 versus the LZ20.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and LZ20 is 81 and 71 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through a spec sheet. The visual underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and LZ20.

As you can see, both of the cameras posses the exact same MP but different sensor measurements. The E-M5 has the larger sensor which is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult.