Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic FZ1000 II, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FZ1000 II (20MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 II (1") feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL5 was revealed 7 years earlier than the FZ1000 II which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL5 scores vs the FZ1000 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys outer measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ1000 II has sizing of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") with a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic FZ1000 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with during that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL5 and the FZ1000 II.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and FZ1000 II is 88 and 55 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor sizes merely by checking technical specs. The pic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and FZ1000 II.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will give more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.