Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus 1s

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Olympus 1s, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There is a significant difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and 1s (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and 1s (1/1.7") feature different sensor sizes.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-PL9 was revealed 2 years later than the 1s and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL9 grades against the 1s when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Olympus Stylus 1s. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Olympus 1s Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 comes with external dimensions 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 1s has measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") accompanied by a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL9 versus Olympus 1s in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the 1s.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and 1s is 85 and 79 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to picture the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through specs. The visual underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and 1s.

All in all, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.