Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic SZ7

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic SZ7, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and SZ7 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was manufactured 9 months later than the SZ7 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the SZ7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic SZ7 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 offers outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ7 has sizing of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL5 versus Panasonic SZ7 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL5 versus the SZ7.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and SZ7 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and SZ7.

Clearly, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 due to its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL5 will give more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images more aggressively. The fresher E-PL5 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.