Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65


85 Imaging
47 Features
47 Overall
47
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
- Introduced October 2013
- Renewed by Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 362g - 114 x 72 x 42mm
- Introduced February 2011
- Superseded the Olympus E-PL1s
- Updated by Olympus E-PL3

Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Overview
Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-PL2, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both sold by Olympus. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and E-PL2 (12MP) but they use the exact same sensor measurements (Four Thirds).

The E-M1 was unveiled 2 years after the E-PL2 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-M1 grades against the E-PL2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Olympus PEN E-PL2. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Olympus E-PL2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Olympus E-PL2
E-M1 | E-PL2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | October 2013 | ![]() | February 2011 | Newer by 33 months |
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper display (+577k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL2 over the Olympus E-M1
E-PL2 | E-M1 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-PL2
E-M1 | E-PL2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical display measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen |
Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Physical Comparison
If you're going to travel with your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 has got external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL2 has proportions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus E-PL2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 versus the E-PL2.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and E-PL2 is 71 and 85 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor dimensions only by checking out specs. The image below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and E-PL2.
As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus E-M1 to provide more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos much more aggressively. The newer E-M1 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus E-PL2 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Olympus PEN E-PL2 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Olympus |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Olympus PEN E-PL2 |
Category | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2013-10-28 | 2011-02-11 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePIC VII | Truepic V |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4032 x 3024 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 81 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 107 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 1,037k dot | 460k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen tech | - | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic (optional) |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 10.00 m |
Flash settings | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain), Manual | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/320 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 497 grams (1.10 lb) | 362 grams (0.80 lb) |
Dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 114 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 73 | 55 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 23.0 | 21.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.7 | 10.2 |
DXO Low light rating | 757 | 573 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 shots | 280 shots |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | BLS-5 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | One | One |
Cost at launch | $799 | $0 |