Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-P1 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P1 was announced 4 years before the SZ-16 iHS and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-P1 grades vs the SZ-16 iHS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 comes with external measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has specifications of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P1 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P1 and the SZ-16 iHS.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and SZ-16 iHS is 86 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through specs. The visual here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and SZ-16 iHS.

All in all, both of those cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will resolve extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.