Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic ZR1

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic ZR1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the ZR1 (12MP) is very close but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-P1 was released around the same time to the ZR1 and they are both of a similar age. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-P1 grades vs the ZR1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 enjoys physical measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZR1 has specifications of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic ZR1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P1 against the ZR1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and ZR1 is 86 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to see the difference in sensor measurements just by viewing specifications. The photograph here might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and ZR1.

To sum up, both of these cameras have the same megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The E-P1 has the larger sensor which should make getting shallower DOF simpler.