Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus SH-50

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Olympus SH-50, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and SH-50 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and SH-50 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was revealed 3 years before the SH-50 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL1 matches up vs the SH-50 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Olympus SH-50. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Olympus SH-50 Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys exterior measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Olympus SH-50 has dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Olympus SH-50 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1 vs the SH-50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and SH-50 is 86 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by seeing specs. The image here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and SH-50.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will provide more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.