Olympus E-PL9 vs Panasonic SZ7

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic SZ7, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the SZ7 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and SZ7 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL9 was launched 6 years after the SZ7 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic SZ7 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the SZ7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Panasonic SZ7 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 provides outer dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Panasonic SZ7 has dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 and Panasonic SZ7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL9 versus the SZ7.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and SZ7 is 85 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by checking technical specs. The pic below should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and SZ7.

As you have seen, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 due to its larger sensor will make getting bokeh easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will give you extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.