Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony H400

The following is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony H400, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and H400 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and H400 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was revealed 4 years earlier than the H400 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H400 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight into a full comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-PL1 scores vs the H400 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony H400 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 offers outside 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 Sony H400 has dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 122mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.8") having a weight of 628 grams (1.38 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony H400 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1 and the H400.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and H400 is 86 and 62 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading through a spec sheet. The pic here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and H400.

Clearly, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony H400 will give you extra detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.