Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic S5

The following is a extended assessment of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic S5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and S5 (24MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and S5 (Full frame) feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was released 10 years before the S5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL1s scores against the S5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1s has got external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has measurements of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1s versus Panasonic S5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1s vs the S5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and S5 is 86 and 60 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The image below will give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and S5.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s because of its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Panasonic S5 will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.