Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic FZ100

Here, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FZ100, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the FZ100 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and FZ100 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was introduced 4 months later than the FZ100 and they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the E-PL1s grades versus the FZ100 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic FZ100 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s comes with outer dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ100 has proportions of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") having a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FZ100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1s and the FZ100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and FZ100 is 86 and 67 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at specs. The graphic below will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and FZ100.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s having a bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic FZ100 will resolve greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots way more aggressively.