Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic ZS80

Below is a detailed review of the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic ZS80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and ZS80 (20MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and ZS80 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was released 9 years prior to the ZS80 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-P1 scores vs the ZS80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS80 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P1 comes with exterior dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS80 has measurements of 112mm x 69mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.7" x 1.7") along with a weight of 327 grams (0.72 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 versus Panasonic ZS80 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-P1 versus the ZS80.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and ZS80 is 86 and 86 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor measurements merely by checking out specs. The graphic here might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and ZS80.

All in all, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS80 will show extra detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.