Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F
89 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49


84 Imaging
59 Features
79 Overall
67
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

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus PEN-F Overview
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).

The 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.

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


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

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 |