Olympus E-400 vs Olympus E-PL1

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-400 versus Olympus E-PL1, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are designed by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the E-PL1 (12MP) is relatively similar and they come with the same exact sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-400 was launched 4 years prior to the E-PL1 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-400 scores against the E-PL1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-400 and Olympus PEN E-PL1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Olympus E-PL1 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-400 features external dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL1 has sizing of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-400 versus Olympus E-PL1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-400 compared to the E-PL1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and E-PL1 is 77 and 86 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by going over a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-400 and E-PL1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Olympus E-PL1 to offer more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older E-400 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.