Olympus E-PL1s vs Olympus SZ-15

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL1s versus Olympus SZ-15, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Olympus. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was unveiled 3 years earlier than the SZ-15 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short view of how the E-PL1s matches up versus the SZ-15 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Olympus SZ-15. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s has got 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) and the Olympus SZ-15 has proportions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1s versus Olympus SZ-15 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1s versus the SZ-15.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and SZ-15 is 86 and 88 respectively.

Normally, its difficult to imagine the gap between sensor sizing merely by going over a spec sheet. The visual here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and SZ-15.

As you can see, both of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s using its larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh easier and the Olympus SZ-15 will offer you greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos more aggressively. The older E-PL1s is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.