Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic S5

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic S5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and S5 (Full frame) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL7 was unveiled 7 years before the S5 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-PL7 matches up vs the S5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL7 provides outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S5 has proportions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic S5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL7 and the S5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL7 and S5 is 86 and 60 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and S5.

Clearly, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL7 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Panasonic S5 will offer extra detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL7 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.