Olympus E-PL6 vs Olympus 550WP

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-PL6 and Olympus 550WP, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL6 (16MP) and 550WP (10MP) and the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and 550WP (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was unveiled 5 years later than the 550WP and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-PL6 scores vs the 550WP in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Olympus Stylus 550WP. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Olympus 550WP Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL6 comes with outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Olympus 550WP has proportions of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL6 and Olympus 550WP in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL6 against the 550WP.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and 550WP is 88 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements purely by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL6 and 550WP.

Clearly, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL6 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL6 will resolve greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The fresher E-PL6 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.