Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus SP-590 UZ, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both sold by Olympus. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and SP-590 UZ (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 was introduced 4 years later than the SP-590 UZ and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-M1 grades against the SP-590 UZ in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus SP-590 UZ. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 has got physical measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-590 UZ has sizing of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus SP-590 UZ in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-M1 against the SP-590 UZ.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and SP-590 UZ is 71 and 72 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking specifications. The visual underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and SP-590 UZ.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will resolve more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.