Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic ZS200

Here is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic ZS200, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and ZS200 (20MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and ZS200 (1") feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was released 7 years prior to the ZS200 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-PM1 matches up against the ZS200 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM1 features external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS200 has measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") having a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic ZS200 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PM1 versus the ZS200.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and ZS200 is 89 and 86 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizing simply by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here should offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and ZS200.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Panasonic ZS200 will give extra detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PM1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.