Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Panasonic ZS40 and Olympus E-M5 II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic ZS40 has external dimensions of 111 x 64 x 34 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x 1.34″) and weighs 240 g (0.53 lb / 8.47 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-M5 II has external dimensions of 124 x 85 x 45 mm (4.88 x 3.35 x 1.77″) and weighs 469 g (1.03 lb / 16.54 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic ZS40 and the Olympus E-M5 II. Panasonic ZS40 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 13mm narrower, 21mm shorter and 11mm thinner than Olympus E-M5 II. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic ZS40 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-M5 II doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-M5 Mark II, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Panasonic ZS40 and Olympus E-M5 II.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic ZS40 and Olympus E-M5 II.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic ZS40 is significantly lighter (229g ) than the Olympus E-M5 II which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-M5 Mark II, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather-sealed body of the E-M5 Mark II, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to the ZS40.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic ZS40 and Olympus E-M5 II's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
On the other hand, Olympus E-M5 II sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Panasonic ZS40's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to E-M5 Mark II.