Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZR1

The following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZR1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the ZR1 (12MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1s was manufactured 16 months after the ZR1 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-PL1s scores versus the ZR1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s provides external measurements 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 ZR1 has proportions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1s vs Panasonic ZR1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1s against the ZR1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and ZR1 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Generally, its hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing specifications. The picture here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and ZR1.

Plainly, the 2 cameras have got the exact same resolution but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s comes with the larger sensor which is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier. The newer E-PL1s will have an advantage in sensor innovation.