Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S9
The Olympus PEN E-P5 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-S9 are two enthusiast cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2013 and May 2024. Both the E-P5 and the S9 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on a Four Thirds (E-P5) and a full frame (S9) sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 24 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Check E-P5 offers at
ebay.com

Check S9 price at
amazon.com
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus PEN E-P5 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-S9? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-P5 and the Panasonic S9 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The E-P5 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the S9 is available in four color-versions (black, blue, red, green).



If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic S9 is notably larger (11 percent) than the Olympus E-P5. Moreover, the S9 is markedly heavier (16 percent) than the E-P5. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-P5 nor the S9 are weather-sealed.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.
Concerning battery life, the E-P5 gets 330 shots out of its Olympus BLN-1 battery, while the S9 can take 470 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLK22 power pack. The power pack in the S9 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.
The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

| Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-P5 | 122 mm | 69 mm | 37 mm | 420 g | 330 | n | May 2013 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
| 2. | Panasonic S9 | 126 mm | 74 mm | 47 mm | 486 g | 470 | n | May 2024 | US$ 1 499 | amazon.com | |
| 3. | Canon R8 | 133 mm | 86 mm | 70 mm | 461 g | 220 | n | Feb 2023 | US$ 1 499 | amazon.com | |
| 4. | Fujifilm X-S20 | 128 mm | 85 mm | 65 mm | 491 g | 750 | n | May 2023 | US$ 1 299 | amazon.com | |
| 5. | Olympus E-M1 | 130 mm | 94 mm | 63 mm | 497 g | 350 | Y | Sep 2013 | US$ 1 399 | ebay.com | |
| 6. | Olympus E-M5 | 122 mm | 89 mm | 43 mm | 425 g | 360 | Y | Feb 2012 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
| 7. | Olympus E-M10 | 119 mm | 82 mm | 46 mm | 396 g | 320 | n | Jan 2014 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 8. | Olympus E-M10 II | 120 mm | 83 mm | 47 mm | 390 g | 320 | n | Aug 2015 | US$ 649 | ebay.com | |
| 9. | Olympus E-P3 | 122 mm | 69 mm | 34 mm | 369 g | 330 | n | Jun 2011 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 10. | Olympus E-PL5 | 111 mm | 64 mm | 38 mm | 325 g | 360 | n | Sep 2012 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| 11. | Olympus E-PL7 | 115 mm | 67 mm | 38 mm | 357 g | 350 | n | Aug 2014 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| 12. | Olympus E-PM2 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 34 mm | 269 g | 360 | n | Sep 2012 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
| 13. | Olympus PEN-F | 125 mm | 72 mm | 37 mm | 427 g | 330 | n | Jan 2016 | US$ 1 199 | ebay.com | |
| 14. | Panasonic GX7 | 123 mm | 71 mm | 55 mm | 402 g | 350 | n | Aug 2013 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
| 15. | Panasonic GX9 | 124 mm | 72 mm | 47 mm | 407 g | 260 | n | Feb 2018 | US$ 849 | ebay.com | |
| 16. | Panasonic S1 II | 134 mm | 102 mm | 92 mm | 800 g | 350 | Y | May 2025 | US$ 3 199 | amazon.com | |
| 17. | Panasonic S5 II | 134 mm | 102 mm | 90 mm | 740 g | 370 | Y | Jan 2023 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
| Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The E-P5 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 33 percent) than the S9, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Olympus E-P5 features a Four Thirds sensor and the Panasonic S9 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the S9 is 276 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 1.0. The sensor in the E-P5 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the S9 offers a 3:2 aspect.

With 24MP, the S9 offers a higher resolution than the E-P5 (15.9MP), but the S9 nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 3.76μm for the E-P5) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the S9 is a much more recent model (by 11 years) than the E-P5, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the S9 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
The resolution advantage of the Panasonic S9 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the S9 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-P5 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.
The S9 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.
The Olympus PEN E-P5 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-S9 are ISO 100 to ISO 51200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.
In terms of underlying technology, the E-P5 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the S9 uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

| Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-P5 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.8 | 12.4 | 895 | 72 | |
| 2. | Panasonic S9 | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 6K/30p | 25.4 | 14.8 | 3297 | 96 | |
| 3. | Canon R8 | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4k/60p | 24.5 | 14.7 | 3295 | 93 | |
| 4. | Fujifilm X-S20 | APS-C | 26.0 | 6240 | 4160 | 4K/60p | 24.3 | 14.0 | 2315 | 86 | |
| 5. | Olympus E-M1 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 23.0 | 12.7 | 757 | 73 | |
| 6. | Olympus E-M5 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/60i | 22.8 | 12.3 | 826 | 71 | |
| 7. | Olympus E-M10 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.8 | 12.3 | 884 | 72 | |
| 8. | Olympus E-M10 II | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/60p | 23.1 | 12.5 | 842 | 73 | |
| 9. | Olympus E-P3 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 20.8 | 10.1 | 536 | 51 | |
| 10. | Olympus E-PL5 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.8 | 12.3 | 889 | 72 | |
| 11. | Olympus E-PL7 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.7 | 12.4 | 873 | 72 | |
| 12. | Olympus E-PM2 | Four Thirds | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 22.7 | 12.2 | 932 | 72 | |
| 13. | Olympus PEN-F | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 1080/60p | 23.1 | 12.4 | 894 | 74 | |
| 14. | Panasonic GX7 | Four Thirds | 15.8 | 4592 | 3448 | 1080/60p | 22.6 | 12.2 | 718 | 70 | |
| 15. | Panasonic GX9 | Four Thirds | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 23.1 | 12.8 | 1163 | 74 | |
| 16. | Panasonic S1 II | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 6K/30p | 25.4 | 14.8 | 3406 | 97 | |
| 17. | Panasonic S5 II | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 6K/30p | 25.4 | 14.6 | 3158 | 96 | |
| Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. | |||||||||||
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the S9 provides a better video resolution than the E-P5. It can shoot movie footage at 6K/30p, while the Olympus is limited to 1080/30p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-P5 and the S9 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. That said, the E-P5 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the VF-4. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-P5, the Panasonic S9, and comparable cameras.

| Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-P5 | optional | n | 3.0 / 1037 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 9.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 2. | Panasonic S9 | none | n | 3.0 / 1840 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 30.0/s | n | Y | |
| 3. | Canon R8 | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1620 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | n | n | |
| 4. | Fujifilm X-S20 | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1840 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 5. | Olympus E-M1 | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1037 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
| 6. | Olympus E-M5 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 610 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 9.0/s | n | Y | |
| 7. | Olympus E-M10 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 1037 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 8. | Olympus E-M10 II | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 9. | Olympus E-P3 | optional | n | 3.0 / 614 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 3.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 10. | Olympus E-PL5 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | n | Y | |
| 11. | Olympus E-PL7 | optional | n | 3.0 / 1037 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | n | Y | |
| 12. | Olympus E-PM2 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | Y | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | n | Y | |
| 13. | Olympus PEN-F | 2360 | n | 3.0 / 1037 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
| 14. | Panasonic GX7 | 2760 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 15. | Panasonic GX9 | 2760 | n | 3.0 / 1240 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 9.0/s | Y | Y | |
| 16. | Panasonic S1 II | 5760 | n | 3.2 / 1840 | full-flex | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
| 17. | Panasonic S5 II | 3680 | n | 3.0 / 1840 | swivel | Y | 1/8000s | 9.0/s | n | Y | |
| Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. | |||||||||||
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The E-P5 has one, while the S9 does not. While the built-in flash of the E-P5 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The S9 has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the E-P5 does not have a selfie-screen.The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the S9 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).
The Olympus E-P5 and the Panasonic S9 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-P5 and the S9 write their files to SDXC cards. The S9 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the E-P5 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus PEN E-P5 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S9 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

| Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-P5 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 2. | Panasonic S9 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
| 3. | Canon R8 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
| 4. | Fujifilm X-S20 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
| 5. | Olympus E-M1 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 6. | Olympus E-M5 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 7. | Olympus E-M10 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 8. | Olympus E-M10 II | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 9. | Olympus E-P3 | Y | stereo / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 10. | Olympus E-PL5 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 11. | Olympus E-PL7 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 12. | Olympus E-PM2 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
| 13. | Olympus PEN-F | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
| 14. | Panasonic GX7 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
| 15. | Panasonic GX9 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | Y | |
| 16. | Panasonic S1 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
| 17. | Panasonic S5 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.2 | Y | - | Y |
It is notable that the S9 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The E-P5 does not feature such a mic input.
The S9 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Panasonic. In contrast, the E-P5 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the E-P5 was succeeded by the Olympus E-P7. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Olympus and Panasonic websites.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Is the Olympus E-P5 better than the Panasonic S9 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus PEN E-P5:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- More framing options: Can be equipped with a hotshoe-mounted accessory-viewfinder.
- Less heavy: Is lighter (by 66g or 14 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (33 percent cheaper at launch).
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in May 2013).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S9:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 25%.
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
- Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
- More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
- Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
- Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (6K/30p vs 1080/30p).
- Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
- Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1840k vs 1037k dots).
- More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (30 vs 9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (470 versus 330) out of a single battery charge.
- Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
- Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
- Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
- Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
- More modern: Reflects 11 years of technical progress since the E-P5 launch.
If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the S9 is the clear winner of the contest (20 : 6 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-P5 and the Panasonic S9 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-P5 or the S9 perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

| Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Olympus E-P5 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 78/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | May 2013 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
| 2. | Panasonic S9 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | May 2024 | US$ 1 499 | amazon.com | |
| 3. | Canon R8 | 4.5/5 | + + | 4.5/5 | 87/100 | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2023 | US$ 1 499 | amazon.com | |
| 4. | Fujifilm X-S20 | 5/5 | + + | 5/5 | 86/100 | .. | 4.5/5 | May 2023 | US$ 1 299 | amazon.com | |
| 5. | Olympus E-M1 | 5/5 | + + | .. | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2013 | US$ 1 399 | ebay.com | |
| 6. | Olympus E-M5 | 4/5 | + + | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2012 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
| 7. | Olympus E-M10 | 4/5 | .. | .. | 80/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Jan 2014 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
| 8. | Olympus E-M10 II | 4.5/5 | + + | .. | 80/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Aug 2015 | US$ 649 | ebay.com | |
| 9. | Olympus E-P3 | .. | 83/100 | .. | 74/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2011 | US$ 799 | ebay.com | |
| 10. | Olympus E-PL5 | 3/5 | + + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| 11. | Olympus E-PL7 | 4/5 | + | .. | .. | 5/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2014 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
| 12. | Olympus E-PM2 | 3/5 | .. | .. | 77/100 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2012 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
| 13. | Olympus PEN-F | .. | .. | 4/5 | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jan 2016 | US$ 1 199 | ebay.com | |
| 14. | Panasonic GX7 | 4/5 | + | .. | 79/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Aug 2013 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
| 15. | Panasonic GX9 | 4/5 | + | 4/5 | 84/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2018 | US$ 849 | ebay.com | |
| 16. | Panasonic S1 II | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | May 2025 | US$ 3 199 | amazon.com | |
| 17. | Panasonic S5 II | 4.5/5 | + + | 5/5 | 90/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jan 2023 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
| Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. | |||||||||||
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check E-P5 offers at
ebay.com

Check S9 price at
amazon.com
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 5DS vs Panasonic S9
- Canon SX730 vs Olympus E-P5
- Nikon 1 J5 vs Panasonic S9
- Nikon Df vs Olympus E-P5
- Nikon Z7 vs Olympus E-P5
- OM System OM-5 vs Panasonic S9
- Olympus E-1 vs Panasonic S9
- Olympus E-M5 II vs Panasonic S9
- Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus E-PL2
- Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax K-3
- Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A68
- Panasonic S9 vs Sony RX100 III
Specifications: Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic S9
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
| Camera Model | Olympus E-P5 | Panasonic S9 |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Type | Mirrorless system camera | Mirrorless system camera |
| Camera Lens | Micro Four Thirds lenses | Leica L mount lenses |
| Launch Date | May 2013 | May 2024 |
| Launch Price | USD 999 | USD 1,499 |
| Sensor Specs | Olympus E-P5 | Panasonic S9 |
| Sensor Technology | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor Format | Four Thirds Sensor | Full Frame Sensor |
| Sensor Size | 17.3 x 13.0 mm | 35.6 x 23.8 mm |
| Sensor Area | 224.9 mm2 | 847.28 mm2 |
| Sensor Diagonal | 21.6 mm | 42.8 mm |
| Crop Factor | 2.0x | 1.0x |
| Sensor Resolution | 15.9 Megapixels | 24 Megapixels |
| Image Resolution | 4608 x 3456 pixels | 6000 x 4000 pixels |
| Pixel Pitch | 3.76 μm | 5.94 μm |
| Pixel Density | 7.08 MP/cm2 | 2.83 MP/cm2 |
| Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | no AA filter |
| Movie Capability | 1080/30p Video | 6K/30p Video |
| ISO Setting | 200 - 25,600 ISO | 100 - 51,200 ISO |
| ISO Boost | 100 - 25,600 ISO | 50 - 204,800 ISO |
| Image Processor | TruePic VI | Venus |
| DXO Sensor Quality (score) | 72 | .. |
| DXO Color Depth (bits) | 22.8 | .. |
| DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | 12.4 | .. |
| DXO Low Light (ISO) | 895 | .. |
| Screen Specs | Olympus E-P5 | Panasonic S9 |
| Viewfinder Type | Viewfinder optional | no viewfinder |
| LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
| Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.0inch |
| LCD Resolution | 1037k dots | 1840k dots |
| LCD Attachment | Tilting screen | Swivel screen |
| Touch Input | Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| Shooting Specs | Olympus E-P5 | Panasonic S9 |
| Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | On-Sensor Phase-detect |
| Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | Focus Peaking |
| Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) | 1/8000s | 1/8000s |
| Continuous Shooting | 9 shutter flaps/s | 30 shutter flaps/s |
| Electronic Shutter | no E-Shutter | up to 1/8000s |
| Time-Lapse Photography | Intervalometer built-in | Intervalometer built-in |
| Image Stabilization | In-body stabilization | In-body stabilization |
| Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
| Storage Medium | SDXC cards | SDXC cards |
| Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
| UHS card support | UHS-I | UHS-II |
| Connectivity Specs | Olympus E-P5 | Panasonic S9 |
| External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
| USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 3.2 |
| HDMI Port | micro HDMI | micro HDMI |
| Microphone Port | no MIC socket | External MIC port |
| Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | Wifi built-in |
| Bluetooth Support | no Bluetooth | Bluetooth built-in |
| Body Specs | Olympus E-P5 | Panasonic S9 |
| Battery Type | Olympus BLN-1 | Panasonic DMW-BLK22 |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 330 shots per charge | 470 shots per charge |
| In-Camera Charging | no USB charging | USB charging |
| Body Dimensions |
122 x 69 x 37 mm (4.8 x 2.7 x 1.5 in) |
126 x 74 x 47 mm (5.0 x 2.9 x 1.9 in) |
| Camera Weight | 420 g (14.8 oz) | 486 g (17.1 oz) |

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