Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic SZ5

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic SZ5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and SZ5 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL9 was brought out 5 years after the SZ5 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the SZ5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 offers physical measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ5 has sizing of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic SZ5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL9 against the SZ5.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and SZ5 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through specs. The pic below will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and SZ5.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will give you more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The younger E-PL9 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.