Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS50

Below is a extended overview of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic ZS50, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and ZS50 (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS50 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was manufactured 3 years later than the ZS50 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS50 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL9 scores against the ZS50 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 features external dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS50 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") with a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL9 versus Panasonic ZS50 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL9 and the ZS50.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and ZS50 is 85 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements purely by looking through technical specs. The visual below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and ZS50.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will render greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.