Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic SZ7

Following is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic SZ7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is very comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and SZ7 (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM1 was brought out at a similar time to the SZ7 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-PM1 matches up versus the SZ7 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic SZ7 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in 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") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ7 has measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic SZ7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the SZ7.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and SZ7 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes simply by going through technical specs. The picture here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and SZ7.

As you have seen, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PM1 featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic SZ7 will provide more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images more aggressively.