Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony TX20

The following is a extended review of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony TX20, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and TX20 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and TX20 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor size.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-PL1 was released 21 months before the TX20 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony TX20 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PL1 grades against the TX20 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony TX20 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony TX20 has measurements of 96mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony TX20 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL1 against the TX20.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and TX20 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Generally, its tough to see the gap in sensor dimensions simply by viewing technical specs. The pic below might offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and TX20.

As you have seen, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony TX20 will result in extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind in sensor innovation.