Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ1000

Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ1000, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and FZ1000 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 (1") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1 was launched 5 years prior to the FZ1000 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving through a thorough comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-PL1 scores against the FZ1000 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 features physical measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ1000 has specifications of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") along with a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ1000 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select during that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL1 versus the FZ1000.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and FZ1000 is 86 and 55 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by viewing specs. The photograph below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and FZ1000.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 because of its larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic FZ1000 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.