Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic LS5

In this article, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic LS5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the LS5 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and LS5 (1/2.3") possess different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL6 was unveiled 3 years after the LS5 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic LS5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL6 matches up against the LS5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Panasonic LS5 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL6 features outside measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic LS5 has dimensions of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic LS5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL6 against the LS5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL6 and LS5 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes simply by researching specs. The pic below might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL6 and LS5.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL6 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL6 will render greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more recent E-PL6 should have an edge in sensor technology.