Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic ZS15

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic ZS15, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the E-PL6 (16MP) and ZS15 (12MP) and the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and ZS15 (1/2.3") have different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was unveiled 2 years after the ZS15 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-PL6 scores vs the ZS15 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL6 comes with physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL6 and Panasonic ZS15 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL6 compared to the ZS15.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL6 and ZS15 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over a spec sheet. The pic below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and ZS15.

As you can see, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL6 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL6 will offer you more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The more modern E-PL6 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.