Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic FZ80

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FZ80, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P1 was announced 8 years earlier than the FZ80 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-P1 matches up versus the FZ80 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 comes with physical measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ80 has specifications of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") accompanied by a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic FZ80 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-P1 vs the FZ80.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and FZ80 is 86 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor sizes just by viewing technical specs. The picture here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and FZ80.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will render greater detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.