Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic LS5

Here is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic LS5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P2 (12MP) and the LS5 (14MP) is fairly similar but the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and LS5 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

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The E-P2 was announced 15 months earlier than the LS5 making them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LS5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-P2 matches up vs the LS5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Panasonic LS5 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P2 has got outer dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LS5 has measurements of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P2 and Panasonic LS5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P2 versus the LS5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P2 and LS5 is 86 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizing merely by reviewing technical specs. The graphic below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P2 and LS5.

As you can tell, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-P2 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic LS5 will offer you more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The older E-P2 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.