Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus VH-515

Following is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Olympus VH-515, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and VH-515 (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and VH-515 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL9 was unveiled 5 years after the VH-515 which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-PL9 scores against the VH-515 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Olympus VH-515. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Olympus VH-515 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys exterior measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Olympus VH-515 has specifications of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") along with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL9 versus Olympus VH-515 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the VH-515.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and VH-515 is 85 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by checking technical specs. The image underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and VH-515.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will resolve greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.