Canon A1100 IS vs Olympus E-400

In this article, we will be comparing the Canon A1100 IS and Olympus E-400, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Canon and Olympus. The sensor resolution of the A1100 IS (12MP) and the E-400 (10MP) is pretty close but the A1100 IS (1/2.3") and E-400 (Four Thirds) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A1100 IS was introduced 2 years after the E-400 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Canon A1100 IS being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the A1100 IS grades vs the E-400 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot A1100 IS and Olympus E-400. The whole galleries are available at Canon A1100 IS Gallery and Olympus E-400 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Canon A1100 IS comes with external dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 150 grams (0.33 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-400 has dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs).

See the Canon A1100 IS and Olympus E-400 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the A1100 IS compared to the E-400.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the A1100 IS and E-400 is 93 and 77 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to envision the gap in sensor dimensions only by researching specs. The image here may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the A1100 IS and E-400.

All in all, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The A1100 IS using its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Canon A1100 IS will result in extra detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The more recent A1100 IS will have an advantage in sensor tech.