Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic F5

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic F5, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the F5 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and F5 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was brought out 3 months prior to the F5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic F5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the F5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic F5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 offers physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic F5 has measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic F5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL5 versus the F5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and F5 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to picture the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and F5.

Clearly, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will result in greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively.