Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS100

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS100, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the ZS100 (20MP) is very comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS100 (1") posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL9 was launched 2 years later than the ZS100 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-PL9 scores vs the ZS100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic ZS100 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 provides physical dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS100 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 44mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 312 grams (0.69 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS100 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL9 vs the ZS100.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and ZS100 is 85 and 87 respectively.

Often, it is hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing merely by going through specs. The graphic underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and ZS100.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 because of its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Panasonic ZS100 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.