Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony RX10 IV

Following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony RX10 IV, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and RX10 IV (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and RX10 IV (1") come with different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was introduced 8 years prior to the RX10 IV which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 IV being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the RX10 IV with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony RX10 IV Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 comes with outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony RX10 IV has specifications of 133mm x 94mm x 145mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.7") along with a weight of 1095 grams (2.41 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony RX10 IV in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL1 and the RX10 IV.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and RX10 IV is 86 and 52 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes simply by checking out specs. The picture here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and RX10 IV.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony RX10 IV will show more detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.