Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax S1

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax S1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the S1 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was introduced 7 years later than the S1 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-PL9 grades vs the S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Pentax Optio S1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Pentax S1 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 provides physical dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Pentax S1 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax S1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the S1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and S1 is 85 and 93 respectively.

Typically, its tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing specs. The graphic below might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and S1.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 using its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will show greater detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.