Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS7

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic ZS7, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and ZS7 (12MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and ZS7 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor size.

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The E-M5 was revealed 10 months after the ZS7 so they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in depth comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-M5 grades vs the ZS7 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 enjoys outside dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS7 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M5 versus Panasonic ZS7 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-M5 and the ZS7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and ZS7 is 81 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reviewing technical specs. The image underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and ZS7.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 having a larger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will offer greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics much more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 is going to have an edge in sensor innovation.