Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic ZR1

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-P5 and Panasonic ZR1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-P5 (16MP) and ZR1 (12MP) and the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-P5 was revealed 4 years later than the ZR1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-P5 grades against the ZR1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P5 offers physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR1 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P5 and Panasonic ZR1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-P5 vs the ZR1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P5 and ZR1 is 85 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and ZR1.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P5 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-P5 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.