Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SP-620 UZ

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus SP-620 UZ, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both created by Olympus. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and SP-620 UZ (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and SP-620 UZ (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-1 was revealed 9 years prior to the SP-620 UZ and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus SP-620 UZ being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-1 scores vs the SP-620 UZ in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 & Olympus SP-620 UZ. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus SP-620 UZ Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 enjoys exterior dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Olympus SP-620 UZ has proportions of 110mm x 74mm x 74mm (4.3" x 2.9" x 2.9") with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus SP-620 UZ in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-1 and the SP-620 UZ.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and SP-620 UZ is 59 and 78 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through specifications. The graphic below will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and SP-620 UZ.

To sum up, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-1 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus SP-620 UZ will provide more detail because of its extra 11MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.