Olympus E-PL1s vs Olympus VG-160

Below is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL1s and Olympus VG-160, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both sold by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the VG-160 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and VG-160 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1s was brought out 14 months prior to the VG-160 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL1s scores vs the VG-160 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Olympus VG-160. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Olympus VG-160 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s has got external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Olympus VG-160 has sizing of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s and Olympus VG-160 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1s versus the VG-160.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and VG-160 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing technical specs. The photograph underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and VG-160.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus VG-160 will produce extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL1s will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.