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Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90

Portability
85
Imaging
55
Features
78
Overall
64
Olympus PEN E-PL9 front
 
Pentax Optio W90 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL9
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 6400 (Increase to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
  • Introduced February 2018
  • Older Model is Olympus E-PL8
Pentax W90
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 164g - 108 x 59 x 25mm
  • Released February 2010
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Overview

The following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax W90, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and W90 (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and W90 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was announced 8 years after the W90 which is quite a sizable gap 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 Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-PL9 grades versus the W90 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Pentax W90

 E-PL9 W90 
ReleasedFebruary 2018February 2010Newer by 97 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1040k230kSharper screen (+810k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax W90 over the Olympus E-PL9

 W90 E-PL9 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax W90

 E-PL9 W90 
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 has outside measurements 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 W90 has sizing of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax W90 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL9 vs the W90.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and W90 is 85 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor dimensions merely by going over technical specs. The image below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and W90.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 having a bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL9 will offer you more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger E-PL9 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax W90 as a Portrait photography camera
73
focusing manually
good resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
has face detection focusing
delivers RAW formats
27
manual focus
lack of manual exposure
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Street photography info
Pentax W90 Street photography info
84
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
comes with touch focus
54
environment proofing
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Sports photography details
Pentax W90 Sports photography details
69
quiet mode (1/16,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
lack of phase detect AF
24
environment proofing
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax W90 as a Travel photography camera
77
has bluetooth
comes with touch focus
good resolution (16MP)
flash built-in
display is not selfie friendly
64
environment proofing
has built in flash
rather wide (28mm)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Landscape photography info
Pentax W90 Landscape photography info
80
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (16MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
37
manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
environment proofing
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is somewhat small (2.7")
lack of manual exposure
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 Vlogging factors
Pentax W90 Vlogging factors
35
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection focusing
high res video (3840 x 2160 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
no external mic support
25
rather wide (28mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of external mic socket
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax W90 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax W90
 Olympus PEN E-PL9Pentax Optio W90
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL9 Pentax Optio W90
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Introduced 2018-02-08 2010-02-24
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VIII Prime
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Highest enhanced ISO 25600 -
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW photos
Minimum enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 121 9
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Amount of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 1,040 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 4 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1500 secs
Fastest silent shutter speed 1/16000 secs -
Continuous shutter rate 8.6 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 7.60 m (at ISO 200) 3.90 m
Flash modes Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 3840x2160 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 380 grams (0.84 lb) 164 grams (0.36 lb)
Physical dimensions 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") 108 x 59 x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 350 shots -
Battery type Battery Pack -
Battery ID - D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) SD/SDHC card, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Launch price $599 $120