Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax H90

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Pentax H90, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the H90 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and H90 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PL1 was launched 4 months after the H90 which means that they are of a similar age. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax H90 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-PL1 grades against the H90 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Pentax Optio H90. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Pentax H90 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 features exterior dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Pentax H90 has specifications of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Pentax H90 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1 versus the H90.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and H90 is 86 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizes only by checking specs. The picture here may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and H90.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have the same megapixels but not the same sensor sizes. The E-PL1 has got the larger sensor which should make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult.