Olympus E-420 vs Olympus E-PM2

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus E-PM2, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and E-PM2 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was introduced 5 years earlier than the E-PM2 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short view of how the E-420 scores versus the E-PM2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-420 & Olympus PEN E-PM2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Olympus E-PM2 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-420 comes with outside dimensions 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-PM2 has measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus E-PM2 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-420 versus the E-PM2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and E-PM2 is 77 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements simply by looking through a spec sheet. The visual here will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-420 and E-PM2.

As you can see, both cameras come with the identical sensor size but different MP. You can anticipate the Olympus E-PM2 to render greater detail using its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-420 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.