Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SZ-30MR

Here is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-PL9 and Olympus SZ-30MR, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both designed by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the SZ-30MR (16MP) is very well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and SZ-30MR (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was unveiled 7 years later than the SZ-30MR and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL9 scores versus the SZ-30MR when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Olympus SZ-30MR. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 offers external measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-30MR has specifications of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL9 and Olympus SZ-30MR in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the SZ-30MR.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and SZ-30MR is 85 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing purely by looking at specifications. The visual here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and SZ-30MR.

To sum up, each of the cameras provide the same megapixel count but different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 offers the larger sensor which should make achieving shallower DOF less difficult. The fresher E-PL9 provides a benefit in sensor innovation.