Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic XS1

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic XS1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the XS1 (16MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and XS1 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL7 was released 21 months after the XS1 which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-PL7 scores against the XS1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL7 has outer measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Panasonic XS1 has specifications of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") with a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL7 and Panasonic XS1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL7 compared to the XS1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL7 and XS1 is 86 and 97 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reading specifications. The pic here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and XS1.

To sum up, both of those cameras provide the same megapixel count albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-PL7 includes the bigger sensor which should make obtaining shallow DOF less difficult. The more modern E-PL7 should have a benefit in sensor tech.