Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS50

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS50, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and ZS50 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and ZS50 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was revealed 3 years before the ZS50 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL5 grades vs the ZS50 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 provides external 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 ZS50 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS50 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 against the ZS50.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and ZS50 is 88 and 90 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements only by checking out a spec sheet. The visual here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and ZS50.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will provide greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos more aggressively. The older E-PL5 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.