Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic XS1

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic XS1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the XS1 (16MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") provide different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was brought out 3 months prior to the XS1 and they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-PL5 scores vs the XS1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with physical dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic XS1 has measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") along with a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic XS1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL5 vs the XS1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and XS1 is 88 and 97 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions merely by going over a spec sheet. The image below might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and XS1.

As you can see, both cameras have the same resolution albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 offers the bigger sensor which should make obtaining shallower DOF less difficult.