Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS25

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS25, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and ZS25 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and ZS25 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PL2 was announced 23 months before the ZS25 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS25 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-PL2 scores vs the ZS25 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS25. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS25 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with physical 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 ZS25 has proportions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS25 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL2 vs the ZS25.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and ZS25 is 85 and 93 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by looking at a spec sheet. The picture here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and ZS25.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic ZS25 will give you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs far more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.