Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic FZ28

Below is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic FZ28, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P2 (12MP) and the FZ28 (10MP) is relatively comparable but the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and FZ28 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-P2 was unveiled 16 months later than the FZ28 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ28 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-P2 grades against the FZ28 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Panasonic FZ28 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P2 offers outer measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ28 has dimensions of 118mm x 75mm x 89mm (4.6" x 3.0" x 3.5") accompanied by a weight of 417 grams (0.92 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic FZ28 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view size comparison of the E-P2 against the FZ28.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and FZ28 is 86 and 72 respectively.

Usually, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by going through specifications. The photograph below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P2 and FZ28.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P2 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-P2 will show greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures much more aggressively. The newer E-P2 should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.