Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax MX-1

Below is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax MX-1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is very well matched but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") offer totally different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-P1 was launched 4 years prior to the MX-1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-P1 grades against the MX-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Pentax MX-1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 comes with outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax MX-1 has proportions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") having a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax MX-1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-P1 versus the MX-1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and MX-1 is 86 and 84 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The graphic here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and MX-1.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature the identical MP but not the same sensor measurements. The E-P1 features the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallow DOF easier. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.