Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SP-610UZ

In this write-up, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SP-610UZ, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the SP-610UZ (14MP) is very similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and SP-610UZ (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was unveiled 7 years after the SP-610UZ which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-610UZ being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL9 grades vs the SP-610UZ in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Olympus SP-610UZ. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Olympus SP-610UZ Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 has external dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-610UZ has specifications of 107mm x 73mm x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") and a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SP-610UZ in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-PL9 and the SP-610UZ.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and SP-610UZ is 85 and 79 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to envision the gap between sensor dimensions only by going over a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and SP-610UZ.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PL9 will offer greater detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.