Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus SZ-10

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL7 versus Olympus SZ-10, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both manufactured by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the SZ-10 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and SZ-10 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was released 3 years later than the SZ-10 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-10 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summary of how the E-PL7 matches up versus the SZ-10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Olympus SZ-10. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Olympus SZ-10 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL7 has got outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-10 has proportions of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL7 versus Olympus SZ-10 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL7 compared to the SZ-10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and SZ-10 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to see the gap between sensor measurements only by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL7 and SZ-10.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL7 due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL7 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The younger E-PL7 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.