Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax RS1500

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax RS1500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the RS1500 (14MP) is relatively close but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and RS1500 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was unveiled 7 years later than the RS1500 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-PL9 scores versus the RS1500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Pentax Optio RS1500. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Pentax RS1500 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera, you will want 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") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Pentax RS1500 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax RS1500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the RS1500.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and RS1500 is 85 and 93 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements only by viewing technical specs. The graphic underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and RS1500.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 using its bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will result in more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-PL9 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.