Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FZ1000

Following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FZ1000, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and FZ1000 (20MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 (1") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL2 was revealed 4 years before the FZ1000 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL2 scores versus the FZ1000 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL2 has physical dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ1000 has proportions of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") along with a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FZ1000 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL2 vs the FZ1000.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and FZ1000 is 85 and 55 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizes purely by looking through specifications. The image underneath may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and FZ1000.

To sum up, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL2 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ1000 will result in extra detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.