Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic SZ10

The following is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic SZ10, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and SZ10 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and SZ10 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P2 was announced 5 years prior to the SZ10 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ10 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-P2 scores vs the SZ10 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ10. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P2 Gallery and Panasonic SZ10 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P2 features outer dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ10 has dimensions of 99mm x 60mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 177 grams (0.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic SZ10 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P2 compared to the SZ10.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and SZ10 is 86 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by looking at a spec sheet. The image underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P2 and SZ10.

Clearly, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P2 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic SZ10 will give more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.