Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus SH-50

In this article, we are comparing the Olympus E-PM1 versus Olympus SH-50, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Olympus. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and SH-50 (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and SH-50 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM1 was brought out 13 months prior to the SH-50 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PM1 matches up against the SH-50 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Olympus SH-50. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Olympus SH-50 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 features outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Olympus SH-50 has sizing of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PM1 versus Olympus SH-50 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the SH-50.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and SH-50 is 89 and 88 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The visual below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and SH-50.

As you can plainly see, both cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will provide greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.