Olympus PEN-F vs Panasonic ZS45

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic ZS45, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and ZS45 (16MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and ZS45 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was launched 13 months later than the ZS45 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic ZS45 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a complete comparison, below is a simple view of how the PEN-F scores versus the ZS45 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS45. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Panasonic ZS45 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus PEN-F enjoys outside measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") and a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Panasonic ZS45 has specifications of 108mm x 60mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus PEN-F and Panasonic ZS45 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the PEN-F against the ZS45.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and ZS45 is 84 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing just by going over technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and ZS45.

As you have seen, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The PEN-F featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will offer you more detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern PEN-F should have an edge in sensor tech.