Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic ZS25

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic ZS25, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and ZS25 (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and ZS25 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was introduced 13 months prior to the ZS25 making them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS25 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-PM1 matches up versus the ZS25 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS25. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Panasonic ZS25 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 has exterior 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) whilst the Panasonic ZS25 has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Panasonic ZS25 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PM1 and the ZS25.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and ZS25 is 89 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements just by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and ZS25.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic ZS25 will give you greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older E-PM1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.