Leica M9 vs Olympus E-PL7

Lets look much closer at the Leica M9 and Olympus E-PL7, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Leica and Olympus. The resolution of the M9 (18MP) and the E-PL7 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the M9 (Full frame) and E-PL7 (Four Thirds) posses different sensor sizes.

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The M9 was brought out 6 years prior to the E-PL7 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the M9 scores against the E-PL7 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Leica M9 & Olympus PEN E-PL7. The entire galleries are available at Leica M9 Gallery & Olympus E-PL7 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Leica M9 provides exterior dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL7 has proportions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Analyze the Leica M9 and Olympus E-PL7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the M9 against the E-PL7.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the M9 and E-PL7 is 79 and 86 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizing only by seeing specifications. The photograph underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the M9 and E-PL7.

Plainly, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The M9 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Leica M9 will provide more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The older M9 will be behind in sensor tech.