Olympus E-420 vs Olympus PEN-F
77 Imaging
44 Features
36 Overall
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84 Imaging
58 Features
79 Overall
66
Olympus E-420 vs Olympus PEN-F Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
- Revealed June 2008
- Superseded the Olympus E-410
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 427g - 125 x 72 x 37mm
- Released January 2016
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Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus PEN-F, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both are manufactured by Olympus. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and PEN-F (20MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor size (Four Thirds).
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe E-420 was brought out 8 years before the PEN-F and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-420 grades vs the PEN-F when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 and Olympus PEN-F. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Olympus PEN-F Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Olympus PEN-F
| E-420 | PEN-F |
|---|
Reasons to pick Olympus PEN-F over the Olympus E-420
| PEN-F | E-420 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | January 2016 | June 2008 | Fresher by 92 months | |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 230k | Sharper screen (+807k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Olympus PEN-F
| E-420 | PEN-F | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very exact focusing |
Olympus E-420 vs Olympus PEN-F Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to carry your camera often, you need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 has 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) whilst the Olympus PEN-F has proportions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") and a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus PEN-F in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-420 and the PEN-F.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and PEN-F is 77 and 84 respectively.
Olympus E-420 vs Olympus PEN-F Sensor Comparison
Typically, it's tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading specs. The graphic below should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and PEN-F.
All in all, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Olympus PEN-F to offer you extra detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-420 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-420 vs Olympus PEN-F Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-420 vs Olympus PEN-F Specifications
| Olympus E-420 | Olympus PEN-F | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus E-420 | Olympus PEN-F |
| Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Advanced Mirrorless |
| Revealed | 2008-06-23 | 2016-01-27 |
| Physical type | Compact SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic III | TruePic VII |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 20MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 5184 x 3888 |
| Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW data | ||
| Minimum boosted ISO | - | 80 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Tracking autofocus | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 81 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Total lenses | 45 | 107 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
| Display sizing | 2.7 inch | 3 inch |
| Display resolution | 230k dots | 1,037k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,360k dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.62x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
| Highest quiet shutter speed | - | 1/16000 secs |
| Continuous shooting rate | 4.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
| Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain) |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | 1/180 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
| Maximum video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | - | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 426 grams (0.94 lb) | 427 grams (0.94 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") | 125 x 72 x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 56 | 74 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.5 | 23.1 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 12.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | 527 | 894 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 500 images | 330 images |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | BLN-1 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 seconds, custom) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Retail price | $999 | $1,000 |