Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZR1

The following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic ZR1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and ZR1 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and ZR1 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was manufactured 3 years after the ZR1 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZR1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-PL5 matches up against the ZR1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic ZR1 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you're going to have to factor in 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") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic ZR1 has sizing of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic ZR1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the ZR1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and ZR1 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions merely by going over a spec sheet. The image below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and ZR1.

As you can see, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will offer you greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots much more aggressively. The more modern E-PL5 will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.