Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic S5

Here is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic S5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and S5 (Full frame) feature different sensor size.

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The E-PM2 was brought out 8 years prior to the S5 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-PM2 scores versus the S5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Panasonic S5 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera often, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM2 comes with external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Panasonic S5 has specifications of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic S5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PM2 compared to the S5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM2 and S5 is 89 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing simply by viewing specifications. The photograph here may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM2 and S5.

To sum up, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PM2 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Panasonic S5 will render greater detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PM2 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.