Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic FZ70

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FZ70, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the FZ70 (16MP) is very well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and FZ70 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was released 10 months before the FZ70 so they are of a similar generation. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ70 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the FZ70 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic FZ70 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with outer 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) and the Panasonic FZ70 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 118mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 4.6") and a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic FZ70 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL5 and the FZ70.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and FZ70 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions simply by checking technical specs. The image underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and FZ70.

As you can tell, the two cameras enjoy the same exact megapixel count but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 includes the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallow DOF easier. The more aged E-PL5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.