Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax MX-1

Below, we are matching up the Olympus E-PL1 and Pentax MX-1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is very close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") use totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1 was brought out 4 years prior to the MX-1 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the MX-1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Pentax MX-1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you'll 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) while the Pentax MX-1 has dimensions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") along with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1 and Pentax MX-1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL1 versus the MX-1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and MX-1 is 86 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to see the gap in sensor sizes purely by viewing specifications. The pic underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and MX-1.

To sum up, both of those cameras posses the exact same megapixel count but not the same sensor sizes. The E-PL1 contains the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallow DOF simpler. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind in sensor tech.