Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic FZ300

Below is a in depth review of the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FZ300, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the FZ300 (12MP) is relatively close but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and FZ300 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1s was unveiled 5 years prior to the FZ300 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL1s scores against the FZ300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic FZ300 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1s comes with exterior measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ300 has dimensions of 132mm x 92mm x 117mm (5.2" x 3.6" x 4.6") with a weight of 691 grams (1.52 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1s and Panasonic FZ300 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the FZ300.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and FZ300 is 86 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements just by viewing a spec sheet. The visual below may provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and FZ300.

As you can see, the 2 cameras feature the identical megapixel count albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL1s uses the bigger sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult. The older E-PL1s will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.