Olympus E-PM2 vs Panasonic ZS60

The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic ZS60, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the ZS60 (18MP) is relatively close but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and ZS60 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PM2 was announced 3 years before the ZS60 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS60 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-PM2 scores against the ZS60 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Panasonic ZS60 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM2 provides external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS60 has proportions of 112mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PM2 and Panasonic ZS60 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PM2 and the ZS60.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM2 and ZS60 is 89 and 88 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions purely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM2 and ZS60.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM2 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Panasonic ZS60 will result in more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged E-PM2 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.