Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic TS5

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic TS5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the TS5 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and TS5 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was introduced 9 months before the TS5 and they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic TS5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the TS5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic TS5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with physical measurements 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 TS5 has dimensions of 110mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic TS5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 and the TS5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and TS5 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The visual below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and TS5.

As you can tell, each of the cameras feature the identical megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL5 provides the larger sensor which should make getting shallow DOF simpler. The older E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.