Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS100

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS100, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and ZS100 (20MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and ZS100 (1") use different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the ZS100 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a complete comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL2 scores versus the ZS100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 has external 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 ZS100 has measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL2 vs the ZS100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and ZS100 is 85 and 87 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and ZS100.

Clearly, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic ZS100 will offer you more detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.