Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus 6000

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus 6000, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both created by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the 6000 (10MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and 6000 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL1 was revealed 11 months after the 6000 so they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 6000 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL1 matches up vs the 6000 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Olympus Stylus Tough 6000. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Olympus 6000 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 provides external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Olympus 6000 has specifications of 95mm x 63mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 179 grams (0.39 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus 6000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL1 against the 6000.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and 6000 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes merely by looking at technical specs. The pic below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and 6000.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL1 will resolve more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PL1 will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.