Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ200

Below, we will be matching up the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ200, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the FZ200 (12MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FZ200 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1 was introduced 3 years prior to the FZ200 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ200 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL1 scores vs the FZ200 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Panasonic FZ200 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 provides outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ200 has dimensions of 125mm x 87mm x 110mm (4.9" x 3.4" x 4.3") accompanied by a weight of 588 grams (1.30 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ200 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1 against the FZ200.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and FZ200 is 86 and 65 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to see the difference between sensor measurements only by reading a spec sheet. The visual here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and FZ200.

Clearly, the 2 cameras posses the exact same megapixel count albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL1 contains the bigger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow depth of field simpler. The older E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.