Olympus E-PL2 vs Pentax Efina

Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-PL2 and Pentax Efina, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the Efina (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and Efina (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL2 was revealed 3 years before the Efina and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax Efina being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-PL2 grades against the Efina in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Pentax Efina. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Pentax Efina Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 offers outer measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Pentax Efina has measurements of 87mm x 54mm x 21mm (3.4" x 2.1" x 0.8") along with a weight of 91 grams (0.20 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Pentax Efina in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL2 versus the Efina.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and Efina is 85 and 97 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements merely by researching a spec sheet. The photograph below may give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and Efina.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Pentax Efina will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.