Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic LZ40: An In-Depth Comparative Review for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing the right camera is often an exercise in aligning technical features with your personal shooting style and photographic ambitions. Having spent countless hours testing and evaluating a diverse array of digital cameras - from flagship mirrorless bodies to compact superzooms - I’m excited to delve into a side-by-side comparison of two cameras that, at first glance, serve distinctly different markets yet invite an interesting head-to-head evaluation: the Olympus PEN E-PL9, a refined entry-level mirrorless camera, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ40, a compact superzoom bridge camera with a fixed lens.

Both appeal to photographers seeking versatility and value - but in very different ways. I’ll break down their performance with a rigorous eye and hands-on insights, covering every major photography discipline, technical nuance, and real-world usability factor to help you decide which of these cameras better fits your creative needs and budget.

First Impressions: Design, Handling, and Ergonomics

When you pick these two cameras up, the difference in their design philosophy is immediately apparent.

The Olympus E-PL9 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless body; compact yet robust, it feels lightweight at just 380 grams and offers a well-balanced grip that I found comfortable during extended handheld shooting sessions. Its dimensions (117x68x39 mm) make it pocket-friendly for city walks or travel without feeling too fragile. The PEN’s tilting 3-inch touchscreen LCD adds flexibility, especially when composing unconventional angles or selfies.

In contrast, the Panasonic LZ40 is a bridge-style superzoom camera with an SLR-like bulkier body measuring 126x87x94mm, tipping the scales at 524 grams - a noticeable heft. This heft comes from its extensive fixed 42x zoom lens that stretches from wide-angle to telephoto. The design feels a little more cumbersome for pockets but does offer substantial physical controls for quick adjustments, albeit without the refinement of high-end DSLRs or mirrorless bodies.

Let’s explore the handling nuances through the top control layouts.

Olympus’s E-PL9 invests in intuitive dials, a customizable mode dial, and a clean top plate, ensuring you have priority control over key settings like shutter speed and aperture. This setup is ideal for users who enjoy manual exposure modes and want tactile, responsive controls.

On the other hand, the LZ40 offers fewer manual controls - it operates mostly in auto or scene modes - with simplified dials and buttons geared toward quick point-and-shoot operation rather than fine-tuning. That said, the zoom control ring is very accessible, catering to spontaneous framing adjustments.

Ergonomics winner: E-PL9, especially for enthusiasts who prefer control and portability. LZ40 suits casual shooters wanting an all-in-one solution without fiddly settings.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Here’s where things really diverge: sensor technology and resulting image quality.

The Olympus E-PL9 features a Four Thirds CMOS sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm, with an effective 16-megapixel resolution. Olympus uses its TruePic VIII processor to deliver clean images and decent low-light performance up to ISO 6400 (expandable to 25600). With this sensor size, you get a significant edge in dynamic range, detail rendition, and noise management compared to smaller sensors.

Meanwhile, the Panasonic LZ40 utilizes a much smaller 1/2.3” CCD sensor, measuring just 6.17 x 4.55 mm, but with a higher pixel count of 20 megapixels by interpolation. This tiny sensor format fundamentally limits its ability to resolve fine detail and perform well in low light, compounded by higher noise levels at elevated ISO settings (max native ISO 1600).

In my tests under controlled lighting, the E-PL9 delivered richer color depth, smoother gradations, and notably better clarity, especially when shooting landscapes or portraits where resolving texture and subtle tonal shifts is crucial. The LZ40’s images tended to look less sharp with more visible noise and lower dynamic range in challenging light.

If your priority is image quality and fine control over depth of field, the Olympus’s larger sensor and interchangeable lens flexibility give you a clear advantage.

Screen and Viewfinder: Composing Your Shots

The variances continue in viewing options.

Olympus equips the E-PL9 with a bright 3-inch tilting touchscreen offering 1040k-dot resolution. This screen is responsive, supports touch to focus/shoot, and enables versatile composition from low or high angles - a boon for vlogging or creative framing.

Unfortunately, the E-PL9 lacks a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), instead offering an optional one sold separately. This is a compromise for some enthusiasts who prefer eye-level shooting, but with a bright rear LCD and excellent autofocus, the absence is manageable.

The Panasonic’s LZ40 has a fixed 3-inch TFT LCD screen with a lower resolution of 460k dots and no viewfinder. The fixed screen cannot tilt, restricting compositional flexibility, and the lack of a touchscreen hampers interaction. For handheld use in bright sun, the screen is somewhat underwhelming in visibility.

Bottom line: The E-PL9’s screen is more advanced and photographer-friendly, improving workflow and creative control.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance: Capturing the Moment

Autofocus performance - and resultant keeper rates - is a decisive factor across all photography genres.

The Olympus E-PL9 employs a 121-point contrast-detection AF system with face detection, eye detection, and continuous tracking. Although it lacks phase detection AF, the system is sufficiently fast and accurate in good light. In practical testing - portraits, street, and casual wildlife - I saw reliable focusing, even in continuous AF modes, although tracking fast action occasionally challenged its contrast-based system.

Panasonic’s LZ40 features a basic 9-point contrast-detection AF, also with face detection but no eye detection or AF tracking. Its focus speed is noticeably slower, making it ill-suited for quick-moving subjects or sports photography. The superzoom lens combined with slower AF can cause missed shots in dynamic scenarios.

Regarding burst shooting, the Olympus has an 8.6 fps continuous shooting rate, a commendable speed for its class, whereas the Panasonic only manages about 1 fps - limiting action shooting severely.

Shooting performance winner: Olympus E-PL9, hands down, especially for portrait, wildlife, or sports genres where focus speed and accuracy matter.

Exploring Genre-Specific Strengths and Use Cases

Both cameras have unique strengths tailored to specific photographic disciplines:

Portrait Photography

The E-PL9’s 16MP sensor, lens interchangeability, and accurate eye detection autofocus produce beautiful skin tones, smooth bokeh from fast Micro Four Thirds lenses, and sharp eyes. In contrast, the LZ40 struggles with bokeh and skin tone rendering due to its small sensor and fixed lens, making it less ideal for professional or serious portraiture.

Landscape Photography

The Olympus’s larger sensor brings better dynamic range and fine detail capture - key in sweeping landscapes or nature shots. Although the LZ40 offers an incredible zoom range for framing distant scenes, its smaller sensor compromises detail and highlights/shadows retention.

Wildlife and Sports

Fast autofocus and burst rate on the E-PL9 are assets for active wildlife or amateur sports shooters. The Panasonic’s sluggish AF and limited frame rates make precise timing unreliable, but its zoom lens provides reach without changing lenses.

Street Photography

The compact size and quiet electronic shutter mode (up to 1/16000s) on the E-PL9 support discreet street shooting. The LZ40’s bulk and slower handling reduce candid shooting spontaneity.

Macro Photography

Neither camera includes specialized macro features like focus stacking, but the Panasonic’s lens allows focusing as close as 1cm, offering better native macro reach. However, image quality for extreme close-ups still favors the Olympus’s sensor.

Night and Astro Photography

The E-PL9’s better low-light ISO performance, longer shutter speeds, and RAW support make it possible to capture astrophotography and night scenes with less noise. The LZ40’s high noise and limited ISO range hamper night shooting capabilities.

Video Capabilities

The Olympus captures 4K UHD video up to 30p with decent bitrates, excellent for casual videography. However, no microphone input limits sound quality control. The Panasonic maxes out at 720p HD video, compressed heavily without manual audio controls.

Travel Photography

With its light body and versatile lens options, the E-PL9 is more travel-friendly for varied shooting conditions, while the LZ40’s massive zoom reduces lens swapping but at a weight and size cost.

Professional Work

Only the Olympus fits professional workflows - due to RAW support, manual controls, and wireless connectivity - making it suitable as a secondary or lightweight professional camera.

Olympus E PL9 front Olympus E PL9 screen back Panasonic LZ40 front Panasonic LZ40 screen back

In this gallery, you can see side-by-side comparison images - notice how the E-PL9 captures finer detail and richer colors, whereas the LZ40’s images appear softer and more compressed.

Build Quality and Weather Sealing

Neither camera features environmental sealing, dustproofing, or weather resistance, so both require cautious handling in adverse conditions. Olympus cameras historically offer solid build quality; the E-PL9’s metal and polycarbonate construction feels reassuringly sturdy. The Panasonic LZ40’s more plastic-heavy body is serviceable but less rugged.

Battery Life and Storage

Both cameras use proprietary batteries rated around 320-350 shots per charge, typical for their classes. Still, I found the E-PL9’s power efficiency slightly better when shooting extensively with live view and Wi-Fi on.

Both use a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot, but the Olympus supports UHS-I cards for faster write speeds - important when shooting continuous bursts or video.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The Olympus E-PL9 shines in connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling effortless image transfer and remote control through Olympus’s smartphone app. The Panasonic LZ40 has no wireless connectivity options, a drawback for those relying on immediate sharing or remote operation.

Lens Ecosystem and Expandability

Arguably the biggest advantage the Olympus PEN E-PL9 holds comes from its Micro Four Thirds mount system boasting over 100 available lenses worldwide. From ultra-wide primes, fast portrait lenses, to professional telephoto zooms, this makes the E-PL9 highly adaptable across photographic disciplines and budgets.

The Panasonic LZ40’s fixed zoom lens cannot be changed, limiting creative potential but simplifying operation.

Here, you can see our cumulative performance rating: the Olympus E-PL9 outperforms the LZ40 in nearly every key category - image quality, autofocus, shooting speed, and features - with the LZ40 holding its own only in zoom reach and simple point-and-shoot convenience.

Breaking down by genre reiterates the Olympus as the more versatile and capable camera, with clear advantages particularly in portraits, landscapes, and video. The Panasonic mainly appeals to casual zoom enthusiasts or novice photographers who prioritize reach over image quality.

Price and Value Assessment

At the time of writing, the Olympus E-PL9 retails around $600, while the Panasonic LZ40 is positioned as an affordable superzoom around $220.

The E-PL9’s higher price reflects its superior sensor, lens system, shooting versatility, and connectivity. It’s an investment for budding enthusiasts or semi-pro photographers wanting serious creative control.

The LZ40 is an accessible, no-fuss option for beginners, vacationers, or those who want an all-in-one zoom without swapping lenses or managing complex settings.

Recommendations: Who Should Buy Which?

• Choose Olympus E-PL9 if:

  • You seek image quality excellence with large sensor performance.
  • You value manual controls, RAW shooting, and lens flexibility.
  • You shoot portraits, landscapes, street, or casual wildlife and want good video capability.
  • You desire wireless connectivity and sophisticated autofocus features.
  • You plan to build a versatile, future-proof Micro Four Thirds kit.

• Choose Panasonic LZ40 if:

  • You want a budget-friendly, simple superzoom camera.
  • You primarily shoot travel snapshots or casual outdoor scenes without fuss.
  • Portability is less critical than having a huge zoom range in one body.
  • You prefer an easy-to-use, mostly automatic camera without manual exposure controls.

Final Thoughts From My Testing Experience

Both the Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix LZ40 cater to different photographic aspirations. The E-PL9 excels as a creative, interchangeable-lens camera that invites you to learn and experiment with manual controls, quality glass, and robust sensor performance.

The LZ40 remains an attractive “travel zoom” companion for those who prize lens reach and simplicity above everything else - though its small sensor and lack of advanced features limit artistic potential.

Having tested both extensively - shooting portraits, landscapes, fast action, and video - I’m convinced the Olympus E-PL9 represents superior investment for photographers serious about image quality and creative versatility.

However, if your budget is tight or you want a no-think camera with powerful zoom, the Panasonic LZ40 will not disappoint for casual use.

I hope this thorough comparison clarifies which camera suits your style and goals. Feel free to ask me more about specific use cases or real-world shooting tests. Happy shooting!