Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic SZ5

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic SZ5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL2 was released 17 months earlier than the SZ5 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL2 scores against the SZ5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 has got outer measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ5 has measurements of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic SZ5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the E-PL2 and the SZ5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and SZ5 is 85 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to envision the gap between sensor sizing simply by checking specs. The photograph here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL2 and SZ5.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Panasonic SZ5 will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The older E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.