Olympus E-PL5 vs Panasonic ZS60

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic ZS60, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the ZS60 (18MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and ZS60 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was manufactured 4 years prior to the ZS60 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS60 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-PL5 grades vs the ZS60 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Panasonic ZS60 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with external dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS60 has proportions of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL5 and Panasonic ZS60 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the ZS60.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and ZS60 is 88 and 88 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements just by reading through specifications. The visual below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and ZS60.

Plainly, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Panasonic ZS60 will give greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The older E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.