Nikon Z50 vs Olympus E-PL9

Its time to take a closer look at the Nikon Z50 and Olympus E-PL9, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Nikon and Olympus. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the Z50 (21MP) and E-PL9 (16MP) and the Z50 (APS-C) and E-PL9 (Four Thirds) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The Z50 was released 21 months later than the E-PL9 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Nikon Z50 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summary of how the Z50 grades against the E-PL9 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Z50 and Olympus PEN E-PL9. The complete galleries are available at Nikon Z50 Gallery and Olympus E-PL9 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Nikon Z50 offers outer measurements of 127mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.4") with a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL9 has measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs).

Check out the Nikon Z50 and Olympus E-PL9 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the Z50 vs the E-PL9.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the Z50 and E-PL9 is 74 and 85 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing only by researching a spec sheet. The photograph here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the Z50 and E-PL9.

As you can see, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The Z50 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting bokeh easier and the Nikon Z50 will provide you with extra detail as a result of its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher Z50 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.