Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax W90

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL6 versus Pentax W90, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL6 (16MP) and W90 (12MP) and the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and W90 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL6 was launched 4 years later than the W90 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL6 matches up vs the W90 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Pentax Optio W90. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery and Pentax W90 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL6 features outside dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Pentax W90 has dimensions of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL6 versus Pentax W90 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL6 against the W90.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and W90 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements purely by looking through technical specs. The graphic here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL6 and W90.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL6 because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL6 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PL6 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.