Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax E90

Here is a complete review of the Olympus E-PL1s versus Pentax E90, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the E90 (10MP) is very comparable but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and E90 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was manufactured 10 months later than the E90 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL1s scores vs the E90 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Pentax Optio E90. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Pentax E90 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s provides 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) while the Pentax E90 has specifications of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1s versus Pentax E90 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the E90.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and E90 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing simply by going through technical specs. The graphic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and E90.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL1s will show greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The newer E-PL1s should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.