Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic FZ80

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FZ80, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL2 was introduced 6 years earlier than the FZ80 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL2 matches up against the FZ80 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL2 provides external dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ80 has specifications of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") accompanied by a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic FZ80 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL2 compared to the FZ80.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and FZ80 is 85 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes purely by going through specifications. The image here will provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and FZ80.

To sum up, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL2 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will show greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.