Olympus E-P1 vs Panasonic ZS45

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic ZS45, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and ZS45 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P1 was released 6 years prior to the ZS45 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-P1 matches up against the ZS45 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 features exterior 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) and the Panasonic ZS45 has sizing of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic ZS45 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-P1 versus the ZS45.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and ZS45 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and ZS45.

Clearly, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS45 will give greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.