Olympus PEN E-P7 vs Nikon Coolpix S230

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus PEN E-P7 and the Nikon Coolpix S230, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Olympus PEN E-P7 was introduced in June 2021 and Nikon Coolpix S230 was introduced in February 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus PEN E-P7 Highlights

      • 20 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • No Optical Low-pass Filter
      • 200 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 121 Focus Points
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Tilting Screen
      • 8.7 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 3840 x 2160 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Nikon Coolpix S230 Highlights

      • 10 MP 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
      • 80 - 2,000 Native ISO
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • 11.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 640 x 480 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus PEN E-P7 and Nikon Coolpix S230.

      PROS

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      •   Video Capture
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Light - 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)
      •   USB Charging
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   2,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz)
      •   Internal Storage
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      •   Small Sensor
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 640 x 480
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.7 fps
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps

      Advantage of Olympus PEN E-P7

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN E-P7 over Nikon Coolpix S230.

      Olympus PEN E-P7 vs Nikon Coolpix S230
      Larger Sensor Micro Four Thirds vs 1/2.3-inch
      Higher Sensor Resolution 20 Megapixel vs 10 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 5184 x 3888 vs 3648 x 2736
      RAW Support vs
      Timelapse Recording vs
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Multi Area Autofocus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Continuous Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Screen Type Tilting vs Fixed
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,040k dot vs 230k dot
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 60 sec vs 8 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/2000 sec
      External Flash Connectivity vs
      Manual Exposure Mode vs
      Aperture Priority vs
      Shutter Priority vs
      Average Metering vs
      Higher Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 640 x 480
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs Mono
      Built-In Wi-Fi vs
      Built-In Bluetooth vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus PEN E-P7.

      Advantage of Nikon Coolpix S230

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon Coolpix S230 over Olympus PEN E-P7.

      Olympus PEN E-P7 vs Nikon Coolpix S230
      Lower Native ISO 200 vs 80
      Higher Native ISO 25,600 vs 2,000
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps vs 11.0 fps
      Lighter 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz) vs 115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz)
      Internal Storage vs 50 MB

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Nikon Coolpix S230.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Olympus PEN E-P7 Nikon Coolpix S230
        Video Capture
        Live View Autofocus
        Image Stabilization5-Axis Sensor Shift
        Touch Screen
        Built-in Flash
        Light337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus PEN E-P7 Nikon Coolpix S230
        Small SensorMicro Four Thirds1/2.3-inch
        No Viewfinder
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen

      Screen

      Olympus PEN E-P7 and Nikon Coolpix S230 have 3.0" screens with 1,040k dot and 230k dot resolutions respectively. Olympus PEN E-P7 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Nikon Coolpix S230 has a Fixed screen Both models feature touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Olympus PEN E-P7) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

      Sensor

      Olympus PEN E-P7 features a 20 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.4 x 13 mm and a total area of 226.2 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Nikon Coolpix S230 features a 10 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 2,000.

      Photography Features

      Olympus PEN E-P7 is equipped with TruePic VIII processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution. Nikon Coolpix S230 can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3584 x 2016, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      No Low-Pass Filter on Olympus PEN E-P7

      There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Olympus PEN E-P7. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.


      Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in image stabilization (4.5 stops of compensation in Olympus PEN E-P7). On Olympus PEN E-P7 it means that you are still getting vibration reduction when it is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P7 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.


      Bluetooth on Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P7 has a built-in Bluetooth (version 4.2 LE) which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
        Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Olympus PEN E-P7 comes with BLS-50 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots and Nikon Coolpix S230 comes with EN-EL10 battery pack.


      External Storage Slots

      Olympus PEN E-P7 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot. Nikon Coolpix S230 has a single SD/SDHC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Olympus PEN E-P7 has Electronic focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/4000 sec with mechanical shutter on Olympus PEN E-P7, and up to 1/2000 sec on Nikon Coolpix S230. Olympus PEN E-P7 can shoot continuously up to 8.7 fps. Nikon Coolpix S230 can shoot continuously up to 11.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Olympus PEN E-P7 ranges from -2 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Olympus PEN E-P7 and ±2 range on Nikon Coolpix S230. You can also do exposure lock and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus PEN E-P7 and exposure bracketing on Nikon Coolpix S230.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 5.40 m at ISO 100 on Olympus PEN E-P7. Olympus PEN E-P7 also accepts external flash..

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus PEN E-P7 body has dimensions of 118 x 69 x 38 mm (4.65 x 2.72 x 1.5") and Nikon Coolpix S230 body has dimensions of 91 x 57 x 20 mm (3.58 x 2.24 x 0.79"). Olympus PEN E-P7 weighs 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz) and Nikon Coolpix S230 weighs 115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz).

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      118 mm

      69 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      91 mm

      57 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      69 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      57 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Olympus PEN E-P7 and Nikon Coolpix S230

      Olympus PEN E-P7 and Nikon Coolpix S230 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      54
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      GOOD
      77
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.7 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   2,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      GOOD
      70
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.7 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   2,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Small Sensor
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Small Sensor
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Small Sensor
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      EXCELLENT
      89
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 640 x 480
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus PEN E-P7 and Nikon Coolpix S230 and give them scores of 71 and 53 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      OVERALL
      71
      OVERALL
      53

      Sensor

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      POOR
      45
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   2,000 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      GOOD
      77
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.7 fps
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 11.0 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      41
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 640 x 480

      Focusing

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      GOOD
      80
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      59
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      GOOD
      81
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      BAD
      38
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Nikon Coolpix S230

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      POOR
      49
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 115 g (0.25 lb / 4.06 oz)
      •   Internal Storage


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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