Olympus E-P1 vs Sony RX1R

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus E-P1 and Sony RX1R, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and RX1R (Full frame) boast different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was revealed 4 years before the RX1R and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-P1 scores versus the RX1R in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Sony RX1R Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 has outer measurements 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 Sony RX1R has proportions of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P1 and Sony RX1R in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-P1 against the RX1R.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and RX1R is 86 and 79 respectively.

Typically, its hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by reviewing specifications. The photograph here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and RX1R.

Plainly, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony RX1R will offer more detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.