Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FZ1000

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic FZ1000, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FZ1000 (20MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 (1") enjoy different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was unveiled 21 months prior to the FZ1000 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the FZ1000 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 offers exterior dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ1000 has proportions of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") having a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic FZ1000 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL5 and the FZ1000.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and FZ1000 is 88 and 55 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The picture here will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and FZ1000.

As you can tell, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Panasonic FZ1000 will produce greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.