Olympus PEN E-P7 vs Olympus PEN E-P1

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus PEN E-P7 and the Olympus PEN E-P1, 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 Olympus PEN E-P1 was introduced in July 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

      Olympus PEN E-P1 Highlights

      • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1280 x 720 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit

      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 Olympus PEN E-P1.

      PROS

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      •   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
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      •   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 - 12 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 55
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots


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

      AVERAGE

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      •   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
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Advantage of Olympus PEN E-P7

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN E-P7 over Olympus PEN E-P1.

      Olympus PEN E-P7 vs Olympus PEN E-P1
      Higher Sensor Resolution 20 Megapixel vs 12 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 25,600 vs 6,400
      Max Image Resolution 5184 x 3888 vs 4032 x 3024
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 121 vs 11
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Tilting vs Fixed
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,040k dot vs 230k dot
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps vs 3.0 fps
      Built-in Flash vs
      Average Metering vs
      Higher Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720
      Built-In Wi-Fi vs
      Built-In Bluetooth vs
      Lighter 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz) vs 355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 360 shots vs 300 shots

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

      Advantage of Olympus PEN E-P1

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN E-P1 over Olympus PEN E-P7.

      Olympus PEN E-P7 vs Olympus PEN E-P1
      Lower Native ISO 200 vs 100

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus PEN E-P1.

      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 Olympus PEN E-P1
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image Stabilization5-Axis Sensor ShiftSensor Shift
        HDMI Output Micro Mini type C
        Light337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus PEN E-P7 Olympus PEN E-P1
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        No Viewfinder
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life360 shots300 shots

      Screen

      Screen

      Olympus PEN E-P7 and Olympus PEN E-P1 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. Olympus PEN E-P1 has a Fixed screen Olympus PEN E-P7 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality 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. Olympus PEN E-P1 features a 12 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Olympus PEN E-P7 is equipped with TruePic VIII processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution. Olympus PEN E-P1 is equipped with TruePic V processor and can take pictures up to 4032 x 3024 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      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.


      In-Body Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in in-body image stabilization (IBIS) (4.5 stops of compensation in Olympus PEN E-P7). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when cameras are 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. Olympus PEN E-P7 has a Micro HDMI and Olympus PEN E-P1 has a Mini type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Olympus PEN E-P7 comes with BLS-50 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots and Olympus PEN E-P1 comes with BLS-1 battery pack with battery life of 300 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Olympus PEN E-P7 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot. Olympus PEN E-P1 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 1/4000 sec on Olympus PEN E-P1. Olympus PEN E-P7 can shoot continuously up to 8.7 fps. Olympus PEN E-P1 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 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 ±3 EV range on Olympus PEN E-P1. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus PEN E-P7 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus PEN E-P1.


      Flash

      Olympus PEN E-P7 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 5.40 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash. Olympus PEN E-P1 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Olympus PEN E-P1.

      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 Olympus PEN E-P1 body has dimensions of 121 x 70 x 36 mm (4.76 x 2.76 x 1.42"). Olympus PEN E-P7 weighs 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz) and Olympus PEN E-P1 weighs 355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz).

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      118 mm

      69 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      121 mm

      70 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      69 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      70 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      38 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      36 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Olympus PEN E-P7 and Olympus PEN E-P1

      Olympus PEN E-P7 and Olympus PEN E-P1 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

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      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
      68
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      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
      60
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      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
      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      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)
      GOOD
      82
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      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
      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus PEN E-P7 and Olympus PEN E-P1 and give them scores of 71 and 61 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

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      OVERALL
      71
      OVERALL
      61

      Sensor

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      AVERAGE
      58
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 55

      Photo

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      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
      GOOD
      72
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      42
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      GOOD
      80
      •   121 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      GOOD
      81
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      POOR
      52
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Olympus PEN E-P7

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   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

      Olympus PEN E-P1

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 337 g (0.74 lb / 11.89 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 355 g (0.78 lb / 12.52 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 300 shots


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

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