Olympus E-PM1 vs Pentax E90

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PM1 and Pentax E90, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the E90 (10MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and E90 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM1 was introduced 23 months after the E90 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PM1 grades versus the E90 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Pentax Optio E90. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Pentax E90 Gallery.

In case you're planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 has physical measurements 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 E90 has proportions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PM1 and Pentax E90 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PM1 and the E90.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and E90 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by going through specs. The picture here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and E90.

All in all, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM1 with its larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus E-PM1 will provide more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more recent E-PM1 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.