Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FZ2500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FZ2500 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FZ2500 (1") posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was launched 5 years earlier than the FZ2500 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL5 grades vs the FZ2500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 features physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ2500 has proportions of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") along with a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FZ2500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL5 versus the FZ2500.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and FZ2500 is 88 and 53 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to see the difference between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The photograph below will help give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and FZ2500.

As you have seen, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Panasonic FZ2500 will offer you greater detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs more aggressively. The older E-PL5 is going to be behind in sensor technology.