Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony HX7V

The following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony HX7V, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and HX7V (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and HX7V (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was manufactured 8 months prior to the HX7V so they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX7V being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-PL1s scores versus the HX7V when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Sony HX7V Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s has external measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony HX7V has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony HX7V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1s versus the HX7V.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and HX7V is 86 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to picture the difference in sensor dimensions merely by checking out technical specs. The pic underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and HX7V.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1s due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX7V will produce extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.