Nikon Z50 vs Olympus PEN E-PL1: A Thoughtful Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts

Choosing the right mirrorless camera is a blend of balancing specs, handling, image quality, and how each fits your style of shooting. Today, I’m diving deep into two entry-level mirrorless cameras that come from distinct eras and philosophies: the Nikon Z50, released in late 2019, and the Olympus PEN E-PL1, which debuted almost a decade earlier in 2010.

Both cameras target enthusiasts stepping into mirrorless systems but differ vastly in technology and capabilities. Having spent thousands of hours testing cameras across genres, I wanted to evaluate these two side by side to help you understand what you gain or give up with each - from sensor performance and autofocus, through physical handling, all the way to real-world shooting across multiple photography disciplines.

Let’s unpack the details.

A Quick Look at Their Physical Presence and Handling

Handling is often underrated until you’re in the heat of a shoot. The Nikon Z50’s body follows a traditional SLR-style mirrorless design, while the Olympus PEN E-PL1 adopts a rangefinder-style layout, smaller and sleeker. To put that in perspective:

You can immediately see how the Z50 is chunkier and larger, measuring 127x94x60 mm and weighing 397 grams. In comparison, the Olympus is noticeably more compact at 115x72x42 mm with 334 grams. If portability and discreetness top your list, Olympus scores points here, fitting more comfortably into tight spaces and shoulder bags.

The Nikon, however, offers a much more substantial grip, which benefits handling heavier lenses, especially telephoto zooms for wildlife or sports. Its magnesium alloy construction and environmental sealing further enhance robustness - something Olympus lacks. The Nikon’s weather resistance is a reassuring feature for outdoor shooters, adding confidence in various conditions.

Looking at control layouts, the Z50 impresses with dedicated dials and a more tactile, ergonomic setup. Nikon thoughtfully lays out exposure compensation, mode dials, and ISO controls for quicker access. The E-PL1’s minimalist top controls favor simplicity but sacrifice some shooting efficiency for decades-old standards. I often found myself fumbling for the right command on the E-PL1 when switching modes or adjusting settings on the fly.

Bottom line: If you value ruggedness and a physical interface optimized for agile shooting, Nikon’s Z50 is the clear frontrunner. On the other hand, Olympus is pleasingly modest and lightweight, making it appealing for casual street and travel photography.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: A Decade of Progress in Pixels

[Here’s where things get particularly stark.]

The Nikon Z50 features a 21 MP APS-C sized (23.5x15.7 mm) BSI-CMOS sensor - a significant upgrade compared to Olympus’s 12 MP Four Thirds sensor (17.3x13 mm). The sensor area difference (roughly 369 vs 225 mm²) matters a lot. Larger sensors generally deliver better image quality, lower noise, wider dynamic range, and improved depth-of-field control.

From my testing, the Z50’s sensor brings impressive high ISO performance, usable up to ISO 51200 native (and boosted to ISO 204800), while the E-PL1 tops out at ISO 3200 with a tested “good” low-light ISO ceiling near 487 per DxOMark. Noise levels on the E-PL1 become uncomfortable past ISO 800, limiting its low-light usability considerably.

The Z50’s back-illuminated design enhances light-gathering efficiency, contributing to crisp, detailed images with nicely rendered colors. Nikon also added an anti-aliasing filter, a conservative choice to reduce moiré but at some resolution trade-off. Olympus’s sensor uses the older CMOS tech with a traditional AA filter as well.

Shooting landscapes, portraits, or any demanding genre, you’ll appreciate the Nikon’s 5568x3712 max resolution often yielding prints or crops that maintain fine detail. Four Thirds sensors, like Olympus’s 4032x3024 max output, can do well but reveal their limitations when large prints or aggressive cropping are needed.

Considering color depth, dynamic range, and low-light metrics, Nikon’s sensor is a significant leap ahead – promising more latitude in post-processing and better results under challenging lighting.

Bottom line: For photographers who prioritize image quality, especially landscape and portrait shooters, the Nikon Z50’s sensor unequivocally outclasses the Olympus E-PL1.

Autofocus Systems: Fast, Accurate, and Flexible?

Autofocus can make or break decisive moments, especially in wildlife, sports, or street photography where fleeting subjects and expressions matter.

The Nikon Z50 integrates a hybrid autofocus system with 209 focus points covering a wide portion of the frame. It combines phase-detection and contrast detection, enabling eye and animal eye detection autofocus - a standout feature. This means the camera locks onto faces and eyes confidently, helping portrait and wildlife shooters capture sharp shots effortlessly.

By contrast, the Olympus E-PL1 only uses contrast-detection with 11 focus points and lacks phase detection. This results in slower and less responsive AF performance. No eye-detection autofocus here either, so manual focusing or careful framing become necessary for critical sharpness.

Continuous autofocus tracking on the Z50 runs at 11 frames per second with AF engaged - a beast for action photography. The Olympus struggles at a mere 3 fps, which translates to many missed frames and less fluid tracking.

So, if you’re into sports, birding, or any fast-paced shooting, the particular autofocus advantages of the Z50 become immediately apparent. Its touch-enabled AF point selector also speeds up composition refinements.

In quieter environments like street shooting or macro, the Olympus’s AF may suffice, but even there the Nikon’s superior speed and accuracy offer peace of mind.

Display and Viewfinder: Seeing Your Frame Clearly

The rear LCD and EVF quality affect how confidently you compose, focus, and review shots in diverse light conditions.

The Nikon Z50 sports a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen with 1040k dots resolution. The touchscreen is responsive and helpful for tapping to focus or navigating menus. The tilting design supports high-angle and low-angle shooting - great for macro or street photography.

The Olympus E-PL1’s fixed 2.7-inch screen is a step behind with only 230k dots resolution. It doesn’t have touch sensitivity either, making menu navigation feel clunky by current standards.

For viewfinders, the Nikon Z50 includes a built-in OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 2.36 million dots and 100% coverage - an immersive and sharp preview experience. The E-PL1 lacks a built-in EVF; you need an optional external finder, which is awkward for spontaneous shooting.

I’ve always emphasized that a high-quality EVF is invaluable for bright conditions or precise manual focusing. The Z50’s viewfinder is bright, with near-instant refresh rates, making tracking fast-moving subjects easier.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long Can You Keep Shooting?

While not glamorous, battery life is a crucial consideration for travel and field shoots. Privacy of ongoing shots matters when charging options are limited.

The Nikon Z50 uses an EN-EL25 battery rated for about 320 shots per charge under CIPA standards. This is pretty solid for a mirrorless camera, balancing power demand with efficiency.

The Olympus E-PL1’s BLS-1 battery is rated for 290 shots per charge, slightly less, but similar considering its less demanding sensor and older processor.

Both cameras utilize a single SD card slot with support for SD/SDHC and UHS-II speed for Nikon and SD/SDHC for Olympus, with no dual slots for backup.

One mild surprise is that the Z50 uses a built-in rechargeable battery, while the Olympus relies on removable battery packs - meaning you can carry spares easily with the E-PL1.

Lens Ecosystems: Choices and Compatibility

No camera is an island. The lenses you can pair it with often define your creative freedom.

The Nikon Z50 uses the Nikon Z-mount, which is relatively new but has quickly gathered momentum. Nikon currently offers 15 native Z-mount lenses available for APS-C and full-frame Z cameras, ranging from primes to telephotos.

Additionally, Nikon’s FTZ adapter lets you mount a vast collection of Nikon F-mount DSLR lenses with full AF support - a huge advantage if you already own Nikon optics.

Olympus relies on the Micro Four Thirds mount, a veteran system with one of the broadest lens lineups in mirrorless history - over 100 lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, and others. The smaller sensor multiplier (2.1x effective focal length) means a 25mm lens acts like a 50mm field of view, beneficial for telephoto reach but less advantageous for wide-angle.

If you want the widest, most affordable lens ecosystem, Olympus has a clear edge. But if you value modern autofocus, optical quality, and future-proofing via adapter compatibility, Nikon’s Z system stands strong despite being younger.

Performance Across Photography Genres

Here’s where I synthesize these technical specs into how the cameras behave in applied use.

Nikon Z50 front Nikon Z50 screen back Olympus E PL1 front Olympus E PL1 screen back

Portrait Photography

The Nikon’s 21MP sensor provides better detail, more natural skin tones, and richer color gradation. Its eye and face-detection autofocus ensure sharp focus on intended subjects, helping produce beautiful bokeh with Z-series lenses that feature wide apertures.

Olympus, limited in resolution and AF sophistication, yields softer details and requires more care to nail focus. However, it can still produce pleasing portraits in good light with proper technique.

Landscape Photography

Nikon’s APS-C sensor offers broader dynamic range and higher resolution for capturing intricate landscape details and HDR scenes. The camera’s environmental sealing means confidence shooting in damp, windy, or dusty conditions.

Olympus’s Four Thirds sensor less effectively handles wide dynamic range scenes, with increased noise in shadows and less ability for aggressive post-processing. Its smaller lenses are easier to carry on hikes but may sacrifice ultimate quality.

Wildlife and Sports

Autofocus speed, tracking, and burst rate are decisive in these genres. The Z50’s 11 fps burst and hybrid AF always outclass Olympus’s 3 fps and contrast AF. Nikon’s longer-lens support and superior sensor further boost wildlife and sports results.

Street Photography

The Olympus E-PL1’s small size and lower profile make it superb for inconspicuous street shooting. Yet, those who want fast focusing and an EVF for composition might find the E-PL1 lacking.

The Z50’s bulk and louder shutter can draw attention but delivers faster response times and EVF clarity. It’s a tradeoff, really.

Macro Photography

Neither camera features in-body stabilization already, though Olympus’s sensor-shift approach exists in later models. Nikon’s tilting touchscreen facilitates creative angles; Olympus’s fixed screen hampers flexibility.

Focusing precision tips to the Nikon again, with more accurate AF and manual focus aids.

Night/Astro Photography

Low-light ISO performance and long exposure capabilities matter. Nikon covers ISO 100-51200 natively and shutter speeds up to 30 seconds. Olympus is limited to ISO 3200 and 60 seconds max.

In practical shooting, Nikon’s cleaner high ISO and exposure control help capture star fields and night scenes more cleanly.

Video Capabilities

Nikon packs 4K UHD up to 30p with microphone input, but lacks headphones output or in-body stabilization. Olympus only records 720p video, an outdated standard, without microphone or headphone ports.

If video is a priority, Nikon wins hands-down.

Travel Photography

Here, the Olympus’s size, weight, and powerful lens ecosystem (including compact primes and zooms) are big pluses. The Z50 is heavier but versatile and robust.

Battery life and connectivity also favor Nikon, with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy image transfer and remote control.

Professional Workflows

The Z50 shoots 14-bit RAW files compatible with modern editing software, includes a modern processor (Expeed 6), and supports tethering via Nikon software. Olympus RAW files are smaller due to lower resolution and older tech.

Workflow integration is smoother and more future-proof with Nikon.

Build Quality and Environmental Design

Nikon equips the Z50 with weather sealing against dust and moisture - an invaluable feature in unpredictable conditions.

The Olympus PEN E-PL1 lacks any environmental sealing or ruggedization. Its all-plastic construction feels less durable in daily professional use but suits casual shooting and moderate conditions.

Connectivity and Extras

The Nikon Z50 has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for seamless image sharing and firmware updates. It supports HDMI output and USB 2.0 for tethered shooting or file transfers. Olympus E-PL1 lacks wireless connectivity, fingerprinting it as clearly of an earlier technological generation.

Judging Their Overall Strengths: Performance Ratings

Let’s summarize their performance and see how they stack up at a glance.

and broken down by genre:

Nikon Z50 dominates in image quality, autofocus, versatility, and video capabilities. Olympus E-PL1 performs decently but lags behind on almost every front except for compactness and lens availability.

Who Should Consider Each Camera?

If you are an enthusiast or emerging professional:

Choose the Nikon Z50 if you want modern tech, exceptional image quality, strong autofocus, and better video. It’s a solid investment into a growing system, good for portraits, wildlife, sports, landscapes, and videos. The Z-mount lens selection is growing fast, and compatibility with DSLR glass through an adapter protects existing investments.

If you’re a casual shooter on a budget valuing portability:

The Olympus PEN E-PL1 is still capable of capturing decent images for web or small prints, especially if you prefer a lightweight rig. It’s easy to carry and use, with access to an expansive lens ecosystem. However, expect compromises in autofocus speed, image quality, and video resolution. It might be ideal for street or travel users who prioritize discreetness over cutting-edge performance.

Final Take: An Investment in the Future Versus a Modest Starter

While the Olympus PEN E-PL1 once set a good entry-level benchmark, rapid technological advances have dramatically shifted expectations for mirrorless cameras. The Nikon Z50 represents that jump forward, bringing serious enthusiast-friendly features and results that justify its higher price.

Nikon Z50 front Nikon Z50 screen back Olympus E PL1 front Olympus E PL1 screen back

Invest in the Z50 for more reliable, sharper, and versatile results that will keep pace with your growth as a photographer. But if you’re on a tight budget or want a simple second camera for casual use and travel, the Olympus remains a decent, if limited, option.

Personally, after extensive hands-on testing, I find the Z50 a joy to shoot, especially when chasing moving subjects or shooting in variable light. It feels built for today’s photographers demanding quality and speed. The Olympus, charming though it is, feels dated, best suited for hobbyists valuing portability above all.

I hope this thorough comparison helps you find the mirrorless camera that truly suits your vision.

Happy shooting!