Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus SP-100

Here is a complete analysis of the Olympus E-P1 versus Olympus SP-100, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and SP-100 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and SP-100 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P1 was released 5 years prior to the SP-100 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-P1 scores against the SP-100 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Olympus Stylus SP-100. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Olympus SP-100 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 provides external dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Olympus SP-100 has proportions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 versus Olympus SP-100 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-P1 vs the SP-100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and SP-100 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through specifications. The graphic underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P1 and SP-100.

Plainly, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus SP-100 will result in more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.