Olympus E-420 vs Olympus E-PL9

Following is a complete comparison of the Olympus E-420 and Olympus E-PL9, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and E-PL9 (16MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-420 was brought out 10 years earlier than the E-PL9 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-420 grades versus the E-PL9 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 and Olympus PEN E-PL9. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Olympus E-PL9 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 comes with outside measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL9 has sizing of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-420 and Olympus E-PL9 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-420 versus the E-PL9.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and E-PL9 is 77 and 85 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by looking through a spec sheet. The image here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and E-PL9.

Clearly, both of these cameras feature the identical sensor size but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Olympus E-PL9 to result in extra detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.