Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony ZV-E1

Here, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony ZV-E1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and ZV-E1 (12MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and ZV-E1 (Full frame) boast totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was introduced 9 years earlier than the ZV-E1 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-PL7 scores vs the ZV-E1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Sony ZV-E1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Sony ZV-E1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL7 enjoys outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Sony ZV-E1 has measurements of 121mm x 72mm x 54mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 2.1") and a weight of 483 grams (1.06 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony ZV-E1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL7 versus the ZV-E1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL7 and ZV-E1 is 86 and 80 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to see the difference between sensor sizing simply by reading through technical specs. The visual underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL7 and ZV-E1.

As you can tell, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL7 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-PL7 will give more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL7 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.