Olympus E-PL1s vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Olympus SZ-16 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both sold by Olympus. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1s was announced 3 years before the SZ-16 iHS which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL1s grades against the SZ-16 iHS when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1s offers physical measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1s versus Olympus SZ-16 iHS in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL1s versus the SZ-16 iHS.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and SZ-16 iHS is 86 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions only by viewing a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and SZ-16 iHS.

Clearly, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will render extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.