Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic ZS40

The following is a extensive review of the Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic ZS40, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the ZS40 (18MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and ZS40 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

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The E-PM2 was brought out 7 months before the ZS40 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS40 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-PM2 matches up against the ZS40 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS40 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM2 enjoys external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS40 has sizing of 111mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic ZS40 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PM2 versus the ZS40.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM2 and ZS40 is 89 and 90 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions just by checking out technical specs. The picture underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM2 and ZS40.

As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM2 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS40 will produce greater detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-PM2 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.