Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic S1

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic S1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and S1 (24MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and S1 (Full frame) have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was introduced 11 months earlier than the S1 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic S1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the S1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys outside 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 Panasonic S1 has measurements of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") along with a weight of 1021 grams (2.25 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic S1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL9 vs the S1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and S1 is 85 and 54 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by going through specs. The image below may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and S1.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Panasonic S1 will show extra detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL9 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.