Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS45

Below is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS45, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and ZS45 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL2 was launched 4 years prior to the ZS45 and that is quite a sizable difference 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 ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL2 scores vs the ZS45 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL2 offers exterior dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS45 has sizing of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic ZS45 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL2 compared to the ZS45.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and ZS45 is 85 and 91 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specs. The visual here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and ZS45.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS45 will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.