Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both produced by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL1 was manufactured 21 months prior to the SZ-31MR iHS which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the SZ-31MR iHS when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 has got exterior dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1 versus Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1 versus the SZ-31MR iHS.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and SZ-31MR iHS is 86 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by checking out technical specs. The pic here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and SZ-31MR iHS.

As you have seen, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will provide more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.