Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony HX20V

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony HX20V, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the HX20V (18MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and HX20V (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-PL7 was released 2 years later than the HX20V and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-PL7 matches up vs the HX20V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Sony HX20V Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 features external 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 Sony HX20V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony HX20V in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL7 and the HX20V.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and HX20V is 86 and 90 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements purely by checking out specifications. The photograph underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and HX20V.

To sum up, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL7 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX20V will provide more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-PL7 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.