Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PL2, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and E-PL2 (12MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-M1 II was manufactured 5 years later than the E-PL2 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-M1 II scores versus the E-PL2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Olympus PEN E-PL2. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Olympus E-PL2 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II offers exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") and a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL2 has specifications of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PL2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 II compared to the E-PL2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and E-PL2 is 68 and 85 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through specs. The graphic underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 II and E-PL2.

All in all, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Olympus E-M1 II to result in more detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images far more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 II will have a benefit in sensor innovation.