Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic FZ40

The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic FZ40, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the FZ40 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and FZ40 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM1 was revealed 17 months after the FZ40 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-PM1 grades against the FZ40 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM1 has outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ40 has measurements of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM1 versus Panasonic FZ40 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM1 and the FZ40.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and FZ40 is 89 and 68 respectively.

Often, it's hard to see the difference in sensor dimensions merely by going through specs. The image below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and FZ40.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM1 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic FZ40 will produce more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher E-PM1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.