Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS10

The following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic ZS10, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the ZS10 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS10 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was released 7 years after the ZS10 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS10 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-PL9 scores vs the ZS10 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic ZS10 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. 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) whilst the Panasonic ZS10 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic ZS10 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL9 vs the ZS10.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and ZS10 is 85 and 91 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching specs. The image here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and ZS10.

All in all, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will render more detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.