Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS15

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS15, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and ZS15 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and ZS15 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was manufactured 3 months later than the ZS15 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL5 matches up against the ZS15 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL5 provides external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS15 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS15 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the ZS15.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and ZS15 is 88 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor measurements just by going through specifications. The visual here will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and ZS15.

To sum up, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will show greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots more aggressively.