Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus SZ-15

Following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus SZ-15, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1 was revealed 4 years prior to the SZ-15 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL1 grades against the SZ-15 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Olympus SZ-15. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 has external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-15 has measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus SZ-15 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL1 vs the SZ-15.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and SZ-15 is 86 and 88 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through a spec sheet. The image underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and SZ-15.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 with its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus SZ-15 will produce more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind in sensor tech.