Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony RX10

The following is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony RX10, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the RX10 (20MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and RX10 (1") offer different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL7 was launched 6 months after the RX10 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-PL7 matches up vs the RX10 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 features outer measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Sony RX10 has sizing of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") and a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony RX10 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL7 versus the RX10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL7 and RX10 is 86 and 58 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions only by seeing a spec sheet. The pic below might give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL7 and RX10.

Clearly, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL7 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony RX10 will produce greater detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively.