Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FZ2500

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic FZ2500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and FZ2500 (20MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and FZ2500 (1") use different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was unveiled 5 years prior to the FZ2500 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ2500 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-PM1 grades against the FZ2500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Panasonic FZ2500 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM1 enjoys physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Panasonic FZ2500 has measurements of 138mm x 102mm x 135mm (5.4" x 4.0" x 5.3") with a weight of 915 grams (2.02 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic FZ2500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PM1 vs the FZ2500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and FZ2500 is 89 and 53 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and FZ2500.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ2500 will produce more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.