Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax Efina

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax Efina, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the Efina (14MP) is very similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and Efina (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was released 4 years after the Efina which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax Efina being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-PL9 matches up vs the Efina with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Pentax Efina. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Pentax Efina Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL9 features outer dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Pentax Efina has proportions of 87mm x 54mm x 21mm (3.4" x 2.1" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 91 grams (0.20 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax Efina in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL9 versus the Efina.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and Efina is 85 and 97 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by going over technical specs. The image here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and Efina.

As you can tell, both of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PL9 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.