Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony WX30

Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony WX30, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and WX30 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and WX30 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was released 14 months before the WX30 making them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX30 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-PL1 grades vs the WX30 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX30. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony WX30 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony WX30 has sizing of 92mm x 52mm x 19mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.7") and a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony WX30 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL1 vs the WX30.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and WX30 is 86 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor sizing just by researching specifications. The photograph underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and WX30.

Plainly, each of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Sony WX30 will render greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be behind in sensor tech.