Olympus E-PL2 vs Samsung NX1000

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-PL2 and Samsung NX1000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and NX1000 (20MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and NX1000 (APS-C) boast different sensor size.

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The E-PL2 was announced 14 months before the NX1000 making them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL2 grades against the NX1000 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Samsung NX1000. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Samsung NX1000 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with external dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Samsung NX1000 has measurements of 114mm x 63mm x 37mm (4.5" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 222 grams (0.49 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Samsung NX1000 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL2 vs the NX1000.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and NX1000 is 85 and 90 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions purely by looking through a spec sheet. The pic underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and NX1000.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Samsung NX1000 will render more detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.