Olympus PEN-F vs Sony NEX-7

Below is a thorough assessment of the Olympus PEN-F and Sony NEX-7, both Advanced Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the PEN-F (20MP) and the NEX-7 (24MP) is fairly well matched but the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and NEX-7 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The PEN-F was unveiled 4 years later than the NEX-7 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the PEN-F grades against the NEX-7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN-F and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F provides outer measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") and a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony NEX-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Compare the Olympus PEN-F and Sony NEX-7 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the PEN-F compared to the NEX-7.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and NEX-7 is 84 and 84 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to envision the difference between sensor measurements just by checking specs. The visual below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and NEX-7.

All in all, both of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The PEN-F using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-7 will resolve greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a little more aggressively. The fresher PEN-F is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.