Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ7

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and SZ7 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1 was introduced 20 months earlier than the SZ7 making them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the SZ7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Panasonic SZ7 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 comes with outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ7 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1 vs Panasonic SZ7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1 against the SZ7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and SZ7 is 86 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by looking at specifications. The photograph underneath might offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and SZ7.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Panasonic SZ7 will give extra detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The older E-PL1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.