Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus 550WP

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-PL7 and Olympus 550WP, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are created by Olympus. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and 550WP (10MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and 550WP (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was unveiled 5 years after the 550WP which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-PL7 grades against the 550WP in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Olympus Stylus 550WP. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Olympus 550WP Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL7 provides physical measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Olympus 550WP has specifications of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL7 and Olympus 550WP in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL7 against the 550WP.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL7 and 550WP is 86 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions only by going over specifications. The pic here will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and 550WP.

To sum up, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL7 having a larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL7 will offer you extra detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL7 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.