Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FZ70

Lets examine more in depth at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FZ70, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the FZ70 (16MP) is very close but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and FZ70 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was announced 13 months later than the FZ70 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ70 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL6 scores against the FZ70 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Panasonic FZ70 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL6 offers 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) and the Panasonic FZ70 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 118mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 4.6") and a weight of 606 grams (1.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic FZ70 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL6 vs the FZ70.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL6 and FZ70 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching specs. The photograph here will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL6 and FZ70.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras enjoy the same exact MP but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL6 features the larger sensor which will make getting shallower DOF less difficult. The more modern E-PL6 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.