Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony S930

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony S930, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the S930 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and S930 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was announced 2 years after the S930 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S930 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-PM1 grades versus the S930 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S930. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony S930 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 has outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Sony S930 has dimensions of 90mm x 61mm x 26mm (3.5" x 2.4" x 1.0") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony S930 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-PM1 and the S930.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and S930 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Often, it is tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through specs. The picture here might give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and S930.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PM1 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PM1 will give extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The younger E-PM1 provides a benefit in sensor tech.