Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic TS1

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic TS1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and TS1 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and TS1 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was announced 3 years later than the TS1 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL5 matches up against the TS1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic TS1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Panasonic TS1 has measurements of 98mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 189 grams (0.42 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic TS1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 vs the TS1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and TS1 is 88 and 93 respectively.

Normally, its tough to see the difference between sensor measurements simply by looking at specs. The graphic below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and TS1.

All in all, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 using its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will resolve extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots far more aggressively. The more recent E-PL5 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.