Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic FZ40

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic FZ40, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and FZ40 (14MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and FZ40 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was unveiled 5 years later than the FZ40 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic FZ40 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the PEN-F scores against the FZ40 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. The full galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Panasonic FZ40 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F enjoys exterior dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") with a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ40 has dimensions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 494 grams (1.09 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic FZ40 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the PEN-F against the FZ40.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and FZ40 is 84 and 68 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizing purely by going through technical specs. The graphic underneath will help give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the PEN-F and FZ40.

As you can tell, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The PEN-F having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will show greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The fresher PEN-F is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.