Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS40

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL2 versus Panasonic ZS40, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and ZS40 (18MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and ZS40 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was unveiled 3 years prior to the ZS40 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-PL2 grades against the ZS40 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL2 has got outer 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 ZS40 has specifications of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL2 versus Panasonic ZS40 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL2 vs the ZS40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and ZS40 is 85 and 90 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing specs. The image underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and ZS40.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 having a larger sensor will make getting bokeh easier and the Panasonic ZS40 will deliver more detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.