Olympus E-PL1s vs Samsung NX10

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1s and Samsung NX10, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Samsung. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the NX10 (15MP) is relatively close but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and NX10 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1s was manufactured 8 months later than the NX10 so they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Samsung NX10 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL1s matches up versus the NX10 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Samsung NX10. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Samsung NX10 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1s comes with 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) and the Samsung NX10 has measurements of 123mm x 87mm x 40mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 1.6") along with a weight of 499 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1s and Samsung NX10 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the NX10.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and NX10 is 86 and 80 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing a spec sheet. The visual here might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and NX10.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Samsung NX10 will render greater detail due to its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PL1s is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.