Olympus E-PL6 vs Panasonic ZS40

The following is a extended overview of the Olympus E-PL6 versus Panasonic ZS40, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the ZS40 (18MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and ZS40 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL6 was launched 7 months after the ZS40 so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL6 scores against the ZS40 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL6 enjoys exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS40 has sizing of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL6 versus Panasonic ZS40 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL6 versus the ZS40.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL6 and ZS40 is 88 and 90 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by going through technical specs. The image underneath might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and ZS40.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL6 because of its larger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS40 will provide extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer E-PL6 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.