Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony QX1

In this article, we are comparing the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony QX1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Lens-style by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the QX1 (20MP) is fairly close but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and QX1 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL7 was brought out within a month of the QX1 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-PL7 scores against the QX1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Sony Alpha QX1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Sony QX1 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 comes with outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Sony QX1 has sizing of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") with a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony QX1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL7 against the QX1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and QX1 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements simply by researching a spec sheet. The graphic underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL7 and QX1.

As you can see, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL7 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony QX1 will render more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics far more aggressively.