Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic SZ5

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic SZ5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-P2 (12MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is very comparable but the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-P2 was introduced 3 years before the SZ5 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-P2 grades vs the SZ5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P2 features external 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 SZ5 has proportions of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic SZ5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-P2 vs the SZ5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P2 and SZ5 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by seeing specs. The image underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P2 and SZ5.

All in all, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-P2 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Panasonic SZ5 will produce more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 will be behind in sensor tech.