Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-P1

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus E-P1, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-P1 (12MP) but they use the same exact sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was introduced 6 years prior to the E-P1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-1 matches up vs the E-P1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 & Olympus PEN E-P1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus E-P1 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 enjoys outside dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Olympus E-P1 has sizing of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs).

See the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus E-P1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-1 against the E-P1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and E-P1 is 59 and 86 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading specs. The photograph below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and E-P1.

All in all, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You can count on the Olympus E-P1 to offer you more detail using its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.