Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic SZ5

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic SZ5, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 was announced 2 months earlier than the SZ5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-M5 grades vs the SZ5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 comes with outside measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ5 has measurements of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic SZ5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 against the SZ5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and SZ5 is 81 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to see the gap in sensor measurements only by researching a spec sheet. The graphic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and SZ5.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-M5 will render greater detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively.