Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS60

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS60, one being 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 ZS60 (18MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS60 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was revealed 2 years later than the ZS60 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS60 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-PL9 grades versus the ZS60 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Panasonic ZS60 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 features outer dimensions 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 ZS60 has specifications of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS60 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL9 against the ZS60.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and ZS60 is 85 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading specs. The visual underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and ZS60.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS60 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 should have an advantage in sensor technology.