Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic FZ80

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FZ80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1 was launched 7 years earlier than the FZ80 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-PL1 scores vs the FZ80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys outer dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ80 has measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") accompanied by a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1 versus Panasonic FZ80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL1 and the FZ80.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and FZ80 is 86 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to envision the contrast between sensor sizing purely by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and FZ80.

As you can see, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will deliver greater detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL1 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.