Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS200

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic ZS200, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the ZS200 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS200 (1") come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was revealed very close to the ZS200 so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-PL9 matches up against the ZS200 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys physical measurements 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 ZS200 has sizing of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") with a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic ZS200 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 versus the ZS200.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and ZS200 is 85 and 86 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading technical specs. The graphic here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and ZS200.

As you can tell, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS200 will deliver greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively.