Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus SP-600 UZ

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus SP-600 UZ, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are sold by Olympus. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and SP-600 UZ (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and SP-600 UZ (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 was launched 3 years after the SP-600 UZ which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-600 UZ being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-M1 grades vs the SP-600 UZ in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus SP-600 UZ. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Olympus SP-600 UZ Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 provides exterior measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Olympus SP-600 UZ has sizing of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") with a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus SP-600 UZ in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 and the SP-600 UZ.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and SP-600 UZ is 71 and 69 respectively.

Often, its hard to see the difference between sensor sizes merely by reviewing technical specs. The picture here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and SP-600 UZ.

As you have seen, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-M1 will offer more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-M1 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.