Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus SH-1

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus SH-1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and SH-1 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and SH-1 (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

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The E-PL2 was introduced 4 years prior to the SH-1 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-PL2 grades versus the SH-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Olympus Stylus SH-1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Olympus SH-1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 offers exterior measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Olympus SH-1 has measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus SH-1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL2 and the SH-1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and SH-1 is 85 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements merely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and SH-1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus SH-1 will render extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.