Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus SP-100

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-PM1 versus Olympus SP-100, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are offered by Olympus. There exists a noticeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and SP-100 (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and SP-100 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizes.

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The E-PM1 was revealed 3 years prior to the SP-100 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-PM1 grades versus the SP-100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Olympus Stylus SP-100. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Olympus SP-100 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 features physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-100 has dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") along with a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM1 versus Olympus SP-100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PM1 against the SP-100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and SP-100 is 89 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The graphic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and SP-100.

As you can tell, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 using its larger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Olympus SP-100 will provide greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.