Olympus PEN-F vs Sony H55

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus PEN-F and Sony H55, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and H55 (14MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and H55 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was unveiled 5 years after the H55 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony H55 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the PEN-F grades vs the H55 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Sony H55 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus PEN-F features outer measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") having a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony H55 has sizing of 103mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Examine the Olympus PEN-F and Sony H55 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the PEN-F against the H55.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and H55 is 84 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes only by going over specifications. The image here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and H55.

To sum up, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The PEN-F using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus PEN-F will offer you more detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The more modern PEN-F should have a benefit in sensor innovation.