Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS70

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS70, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the ZS70 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and ZS70 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 was brought out 6 years prior to the ZS70 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS70 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-M5 matches up vs the ZS70 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS70 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 enjoys exterior dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS70 has measurements of 112mm x 67mm x 41mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.6") having a weight of 322 grams (0.71 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 vs Panasonic ZS70 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M5 and the ZS70.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and ZS70 is 81 and 87 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing only by reading technical specs. The visual underneath will offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M5 and ZS70.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS70 will deliver more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively. The older E-M5 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.