Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the FZ1000 II (20MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 II (1") boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was introduced 12 months prior to the FZ1000 II so they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL9 scores against the FZ1000 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 has exterior dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ1000 II has measurements of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") with a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the FZ1000 II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and FZ1000 II is 85 and 55 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at specs. The graphic below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and FZ1000 II.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 using its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will give more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-PL9 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.