Olympus E-P1 vs Sony HX9V

Below is a detailed analysis of the Olympus E-P1 and Sony HX9V, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and HX9V (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and HX9V (1/2.3") boast different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was announced 24 months prior to the HX9V which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX9V being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-P1 scores against the HX9V for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony HX9V Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. 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 Sony HX9V has dimensions of 105mm x 59mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P1 and Sony HX9V in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-P1 versus the HX9V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and HX9V is 86 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements only by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and HX9V.

As you can see, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Sony HX9V will show greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.