Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus SZ-12

Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus SZ-12, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are sold by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the SZ-12 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and SZ-12 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1 was manufactured 20 months earlier than the SZ-12 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-PL1 scores vs the SZ-12 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Olympus SZ-12. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 provides external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-12 has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus SZ-12 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1 versus the SZ-12.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and SZ-12 is 86 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements only by checking out specifications. The visual here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and SZ-12.

Plainly, both of those cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus SZ-12 will show extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.