Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic ZS15

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic ZS15, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the ZS15 (12MP) is very comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and ZS15 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PM1 was released 7 months earlier than the ZS15 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS15 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PM1 grades versus the ZS15 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Panasonic ZS15 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 provides outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS15 has sizing of 105mm x 58mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") along with a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM1 and Panasonic ZS15 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the ZS15.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and ZS15 is 89 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements simply by going through specifications. The visual below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and ZS15.

Plainly, the 2 cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PM1 contains the larger sensor which should make getting shallow DOF simpler. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.