Olympus E-PL1s vs Olympus SP-565UZ

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1s and Olympus SP-565UZ, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the SP-565UZ (10MP) is very well matched but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and SP-565UZ (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was released 23 months later than the SP-565UZ making them a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-565UZ being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-PL1s grades versus the SP-565UZ with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Olympus SP-565UZ. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Olympus SP-565UZ Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s enjoys external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Olympus SP-565UZ has sizing of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1s and Olympus SP-565UZ in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1s and the SP-565UZ.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1s and SP-565UZ is 86 and 72 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements merely by reading through technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and SP-565UZ.

As you have seen, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL1s will give you extra detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The more modern E-PL1s provides an edge in sensor technology.