Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic SZ1

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic SZ1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and SZ1 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and SZ1 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-P2 was announced 20 months before the SZ1 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-P2 scores against the SZ1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Panasonic SZ1 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P2 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 SZ1 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic SZ1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P2 versus the SZ1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and SZ1 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes merely by checking out technical specs. The image underneath will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P2 and SZ1.

As you can tell, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P2 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic SZ1 will provide greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.