Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic ZS45

Following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL7 versus Panasonic ZS45, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the ZS45 (16MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") feature different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was released 4 months earlier than the ZS45 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-PL7 matches up against the ZS45 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL7 offers physical measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS45 has measurements of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL7 versus Panasonic ZS45 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL7 against the ZS45.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and ZS45 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to picture the difference between sensor sizes only by reading through specifications. The image below will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and ZS45.

Plainly, each of these cameras have got the exact same resolution albeit different sensor sizes. The E-PL7 features the bigger sensor which should make getting shallow DOF less difficult.