Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic FZ40

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-P5 versus Panasonic FZ40, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the FZ40 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and FZ40 (1/2.3") come with different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-P5 was released 3 years later than the FZ40 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-P5 matches up versus the FZ40 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P5 has outer measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ40 has measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") along with a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P5 versus Panasonic FZ40 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P5 vs the FZ40.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P5 and FZ40 is 85 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor measurements merely by reading through specifications. The graphic here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P5 and FZ40.

To sum up, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P5 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-P5 will give more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-P5 should have an advantage in sensor tech.