Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F
89 Imaging
47 Features
52 Overall
49
84 Imaging
58 Features
79 Overall
66
Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Revealed November 2011
- New Model is Olympus E-PM2
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 427g - 125 x 72 x 37mm
- Launched January 2016
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On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and PEN-F (20MP) but both cameras have the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe E-PM1 was manufactured 5 years prior to the PEN-F and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-PM1 scores against the PEN-F in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Olympus PEN-F. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Olympus PEN-F Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Olympus PEN-F
| E-PM1 | PEN-F |
|---|
Reasons to pick Olympus PEN-F over the Olympus E-PM1
| PEN-F | E-PM1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | January 2016 | November 2011 | More recent by 50 months | |
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 460k | Crisper display (+577k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Olympus PEN-F
| E-PM1 | PEN-F | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial exact focusing | |||
| Display dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal display sizing |
Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Physical Comparison
If you're going to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 comes with physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Olympus PEN-F has dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PM1 vs the PEN-F.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and PEN-F is 89 and 84 respectively.
Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is very tough to picture the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching technical specs. The visual below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM1 and PEN-F.
As you can tell, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Olympus PEN-F to render more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Olympus PEN-F | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Olympus PEN-F |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced Mirrorless |
| Revealed | 2011-11-23 | 2016-01-27 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic VI | TruePic VII |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | Four Thirds |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 224.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12MP | 20MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 5184 x 3888 |
| Max native ISO | 12800 | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW format | ||
| Minimum boosted ISO | - | 80 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 81 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| Number of lenses | 107 | 107 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dot | 1,037 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,360 thousand dot |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.62x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 60s |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
| Maximum silent shutter speed | - | 1/16000s |
| Continuous shooting speed | 6.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain) |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 1/160s | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 265 grams (0.58 lb) | 427 grams (0.94 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 125 x 72 x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 52 | 74 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.0 | 23.1 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | 12.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | 499 | 894 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 images | 330 images |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | BLN-1 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 seconds, custom) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Price at launch | $499 | $1,000 |