Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ2500

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FZ2500, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and FZ2500 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FZ2500 (1") boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was unveiled 7 years before the FZ2500 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the FZ2500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 features outside 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 FZ2500 has proportions of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") having a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FZ2500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the FZ2500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and FZ2500 is 86 and 53 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to picture the difference between sensor dimensions just by looking at specs. The pic here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and FZ2500.

All in all, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FZ2500 will resolve greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.