Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic TS20

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic TS20, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and TS20 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and TS20 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL2 was announced 11 months before the TS20 so they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS20 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL2 matches up vs the TS20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic TS20 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL2 provides exterior dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Panasonic TS20 has dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 19mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL2 and Panasonic TS20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-PL2 compared to the TS20.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and TS20 is 85 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor sizing only by going through specifications. The graphic below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and TS20.

To sum up, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic TS20 will produce more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.