Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ100

Below, we are analyzing the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ100, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the FZ100 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FZ100 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was manufactured 2 months earlier than the FZ100 so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-PL1 scores against the FZ100 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FZ100 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 comes with external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ100 has specifications of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") and a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1 versus the FZ100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and FZ100 is 86 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to envision the contrast in sensor measurements merely by looking through specifications. The photograph below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and FZ100.

Plainly, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ100 will render more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos much more aggressively.