Olympus PEN E-PL6 vs Olympus PEN-F

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus PEN E-PL6 and the Olympus PEN-F, 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-PL6 was introduced in August 2014 and Olympus PEN-F was introduced in January 2016. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 Highlights

      • 16 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 35 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 460k dot Tilting Screen
      • 8.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit

      Olympus PEN-F Highlights

      • 20 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 200 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 81 Focus Points
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,037k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 2,360k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      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-PL6 and Olympus PEN-F.

      PROS

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Live Composition
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   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 - 360 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


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

      AVERAGE

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   DxO Overall Score - 74

      Advantage of Olympus PEN E-PL6

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN E-PL6 over Olympus PEN-F.

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 vs Olympus PEN-F
      Lower Native ISO 100 vs 200
      Lighter 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz) vs 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 360 shots vs 330 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus PEN E-PL6.

      Advantage of Olympus PEN-F

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus PEN-F over Olympus PEN E-PL6.

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 vs Olympus PEN-F
      Higher Sensor Resolution 16 Megapixel vs 20 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 4608 x 3456 vs 5184 x 3888
      More Focus Points 35 vs 81
      Center Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Tilting vs Fully Articulated
      Higher Resolution Screen 460k dot vs 1,037k dot
      Live Composition vs
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 8.0 fps vs 10.0 fps
      Average Metering vs
      Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi connection possible vs

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

      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-PL6 Olympus PEN-F
        Video Capture
        Touch-to-Focus
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image StabilizationSensor Shift5-Axis Sensor Shift
        Touch Screen
        HDMI Output Mini type C Micro
        Light325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus PEN E-PL6 Olympus PEN-F
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life360 shots330 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Olympus PEN-F have 3.0" screens with 460k dot and 1,037k dot resolutions respectively. Olympus PEN E-PL6 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Olympus PEN-F has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. 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 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.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 with Tilting screen


      Viewfinder

      Olympus PEN-F has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.23x (0.62x 35mm equivalent) magnification.Olympus PEN E-PL6 does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

      Sensor

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 features a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600. Olympus PEN-F features a 20 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 200 - 25,600 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      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-PL6 is equipped with TruePic VI processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2560 x 1920, 1024 x 768 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Olympus PEN-F is equipped with TruePic VII processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3888 resolution.


      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.


      In-Body Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in in-body image stabilization (IBIS). 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-F

      Olympus PEN-F 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.


      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Olympus PEN E-PL6 has a Mini type C HDMI and Olympus PEN-F has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 comes with BLS-5 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots and Olympus PEN-F comes with BLN-1 battery pack with battery life of 330 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus PEN E-PL6, and up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/8000 sec with mechanical shutter on Olympus PEN-F. Olympus PEN E-PL6 can shoot continuously up to 8.0 fps. Olympus PEN-F can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe to Olympus PEN E-PL6..

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 body has dimensions of 111 x 64 x 38 mm (4.37 x 2.52 x 1.5") and Olympus PEN-F body has dimensions of 125 x 72 x 37 mm (4.92 x 2.83 x 1.46"). Olympus PEN E-PL6 weighs 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz) and Olympus PEN-F weighs 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz).

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      111 mm

      64 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      125 mm

      72 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      64 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      72 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      38 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      37 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Olympus PEN-F

      Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Olympus PEN-F 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-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      72
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      GOOD
      78
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      77
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      GOOD
      71
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      71
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Small Sensor
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Orientation Sensor
      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Small Sensor
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Small Sensor
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Small Sensor
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      GOOD
      84
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus PEN E-PL6 and Olympus PEN-F and give them scores of 67 and 71 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-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      OVERALL
      67
      OVERALL
      71

      Sensor

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      AVERAGE
      59
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 20 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 74

      Photo

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      GOOD
      76
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      GOOD
      76
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/16000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps

      Video

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      GOOD
      78
      •   35 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      79
      •   81 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,037k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot

      Connectivity

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus PEN E-PL6

      Olympus PEN-F

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 325 g (0.72 lb / 11.46 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 360 shots
      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 427 g (0.94 lb / 15.06 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


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

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