Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

In this article, we will be comparing the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic FZ1000 II, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and FZ1000 II (20MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and FZ1000 II (1") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM1 was unveiled 8 years earlier than the FZ1000 II and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-PM1 scores against the FZ1000 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 provides physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ1000 II has proportions of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic FZ1000 II in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the FZ1000 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and FZ1000 II is 89 and 55 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing simply by checking out a spec sheet. The visual underneath may offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and FZ1000 II.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will produce more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.