Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus 7040

Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL7 versus Olympus 7040, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are built by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the 7040 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and 7040 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was unveiled 4 years later than the 7040 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 7040 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL7 matches up vs the 7040 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Olympus Stylus 7040. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Olympus 7040 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL7 provides exterior measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Olympus 7040 has measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL7 versus Olympus 7040 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL7 and the 7040.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL7 and 7040 is 86 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing just by reading through specs. The visual below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and 7040.

All in all, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL7 with its larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL7 will give greater detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The younger E-PL7 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.