Olympus E-PM1 vs Pentax MX-1

The following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PM1 versus Pentax MX-1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is very similar but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM1 was announced 19 months prior to the MX-1 making them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-PM1 matches up vs the MX-1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Pentax MX-1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 comes with physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Pentax MX-1 has sizing of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") along with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PM1 versus Pentax MX-1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-PM1 against the MX-1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and MX-1 is 89 and 84 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by going over specs. The picture here may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and MX-1.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras come with the identical resolution but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PM1 offers the larger sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler. The more aged E-PM1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.