Leica M9 vs Olympus E-PM1

Here, we are reviewing the Leica M9 vs Olympus E-PM1, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Leica and Olympus. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the M9 (18MP) and E-PM1 (12MP) and the M9 (Full frame) and E-PM1 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor sizes.

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The M9 was manufactured 3 years before the E-PM1 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief overview of how the M9 matches up against the E-PM1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica M9 & Olympus PEN E-PM1. The entire galleries are viewable at Leica M9 Gallery & Olympus E-PM1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Leica M9 comes with external dimensions of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") having a weight of 585 grams (1.29 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PM1 has dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Check out the Leica M9 vs Olympus E-PM1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the M9 and the E-PM1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the M9 and E-PM1 is 79 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by reviewing technical specs. The graphic underneath will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the M9 and E-PM1.

As you have seen, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The M9 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Leica M9 will deliver extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The older M9 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.