Olympus E-420 vs Olympus E-PL7

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus E-PL7, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both sold by Olympus. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and E-PL7 (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

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The E-420 was released 7 years earlier than the E-PL7 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-420 grades against the E-PL7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 & Olympus PEN E-PL7. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Olympus E-PL7 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-420 offers outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL7 has measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus E-PL7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-420 versus the E-PL7.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and E-PL7 is 77 and 86 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by checking specs. The pic below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and E-PL7.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus E-PL7 to give you extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.