Olympus E-M1 vs Sony NEX-7

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M1 and Sony NEX-7, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-7 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 was brought out 23 months after the NEX-7 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-M1 matches up vs the NEX-7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 enjoys outer 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 Sony NEX-7 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M1 and Sony NEX-7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 vs the NEX-7.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and NEX-7 is 71 and 84 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading through a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and NEX-7.

Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-7 will give greater detail having its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots far more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.