Olympus E-M1 vs Olympus SZ-11

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus SZ-11, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Olympus. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the SZ-11 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and SZ-11 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was launched 2 years later than the SZ-11 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-M1 matches up vs the SZ-11 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Olympus SZ-11. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Olympus SZ-11 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 provides external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-11 has proportions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M1 and Olympus SZ-11 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 and the SZ-11.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and SZ-11 is 71 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing only by looking through technical specs. The graphic underneath might provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and SZ-11.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will render greater detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs far more aggressively. The younger E-M1 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.