Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic ZS40

Olympus E-PL1 advantages over Panasonic ZS40

• Larger sensor
  4/3 vs 1/2.3 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.29 vs 1.26 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark ZS40 test data on DxO Mark
  21.5 vs 19.0 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  E-PL1 test data on DxO Mark ZS40 test data on DxO Mark
  487 vs 117 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• Longer exposure
  60 vs 30 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  15 vs 6 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)