Olympus E-M1 vs Sony RX1

On this page, we will be matching up the Olympus E-M1 and Sony RX1, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and RX1 (Full frame) provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 was launched 9 months after the RX1 and they are of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-M1 scores vs the RX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony RX1 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 offers 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 Sony RX1 has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 and Sony RX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 and the RX1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and RX1 is 71 and 79 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes only by going over specs. The pic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and RX1.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony RX1 will offer you extra detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The younger E-M1 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.