Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic ZS7

Here is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic ZS7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and ZS7 (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ZS7 (1/2.3") feature different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was released 6 years later than the ZS7 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS7 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL9 grades vs the ZS7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic ZS7 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 has outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS7 has measurements of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic ZS7 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL9 and the ZS7.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and ZS7 is 85 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizing just by checking out specifications. The graphic below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and ZS7.

To sum up, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.