Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic FZ80

Below is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-PL7 versus Panasonic FZ80, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the FZ80 (18MP) is relatively close but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and FZ80 (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

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The E-PL7 was announced 3 years before the FZ80 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-PL7 scores vs the FZ80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 has got physical measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ80 has sizing of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL7 versus Panasonic FZ80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL7 versus the FZ80.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL7 and FZ80 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements only by viewing specs. The visual below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL7 and FZ80.

All in all, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL7 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic FZ80 will provide you with more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL7 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.