Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SP-820UZ

Following is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SP-820UZ, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both built by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the SP-820UZ (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and SP-820UZ (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was introduced 5 years after the SP-820UZ which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-PL9 scores versus the SP-820UZ in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 has outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-820UZ has measurements of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus SP-820UZ in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL9 against the SP-820UZ.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and SP-820UZ is 85 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes simply by reviewing specs. The image here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and SP-820UZ.

As you can plainly see, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will offer you more detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The newer E-PL9 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.