Canon 400D vs Olympus E-PL1 Comparison

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Canon 400D

10 MP | APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Olympus E-PL1

12 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Canon 400D vs Olympus E-PL1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon 400D, which was introduced in October 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Olympus E-PL1, which was introduced in May 2010 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor. As you can see, 400D is 4 years older than E-PL1. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 400D Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-10-14

10MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Canon EF/EF-S Mount

2.50" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

556g. 127 x 94 x 65 mm

Also known as EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X

Replaced Canon EOS 350D Compare

Olympus E-PL1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2010-05-17

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 3200

Micro Four Thirds Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.70" Fixed Type Screen

3.0fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

334g. 115 x 72 x 42 mm

Canon 400D was replaced by Canon EOS 450D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 450D vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)
Canon EOS 450D vs Olympus PEN E-PL1

Olympus E-PL1 was replaced by Olympus PEN E-PL1s. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus PEN E-PL1s vs Olympus PEN E-PL1
Olympus PEN E-PL1s vs Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Canon EOS 400D over Olympus PEN E-PL1

Viewfinder	Optical vs Electronic (Optional)	Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 10.0m	2m longer range
Color Depth	22.1 vs 21.5	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	11.0 vs 10.1	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	664 vs 487	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	32.60µm² vs 18.45µm²	76% larger pixel area

CHECK 400D PRICE

Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PL1 over Canon EOS 400D

In-built Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	3.200 vs 1.600	100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	11 vs 9	2 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	2.7" vs 2.5"	0.2 inches larger display
Weight	334 g vs 556 g	222 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

CHECK E-PL1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 400D and Olympus PEN E-PL1

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 400D and Olympus PEN E-PL1

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
LCD Screen Size	2.70" vs 2.70"	Small display
LCD Screen Resolution	230k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Canon 400D vs Olympus E-PL1: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon 400D has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 65 mm (5 x 3.7 x 2.56″) and weighs 556 g (1.23 lb / 19.61 oz) (including batteries). Olympus E-PL1 has external dimensions of 115 x 72 x 42 mm (4.53 x 2.83 x 1.65″) and weighs 334 g (0.74 lb / 11.78 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1. Olympus E-PL1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 12mm narrower, 22mm shorter and 23mm thinner than Canon 400D.

Comparison image of Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-PL1 is significantly lighter (222g ) than the Canon 400D which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Canon 400D has an APS-C sized sensor and Olympus E-PL1 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-PL1's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 400D lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

E-PL1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

400D

E-PL1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Canon EOS 400D (EOS Digital Rebel XTi / EOS Kiss Digital X) nor Olympus PEN E-PL1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-PL1's 2.70" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 400D's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Canon 400D vs Olympus E-PL1: Sensor Comparison

Canon 400D has a 10.0MP APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Olympus E-PL1 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Truepic V processor.

Below you can see the 400D and E-PL1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 Cameras

As seen above, Canon 400D has a 1.5x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-PL1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 400D has scored 62, 8 points higher than E-PL1.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Canon 400D	62	22.1 bits	11.0 Evs	664 ISO
Olympus E-PL1	54	21.5 bits	10.1 Evs	487 ISO

Canon 400D vs Olympus E-PL1 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 400D has an advantage over Olympus E-PL1. There are 333 lenses for Canon 400D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 119 lenses for Olympus E-PL1's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Olympus E-PL1 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Canon 400D doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 113 lenses for Canon EF/EF-S mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Canon 400D Lenses	# of Olympus E-PL1 Lenses
Standard Zoom	40	17
Standard Prime	21	15
Wideangle Zoom	37	6
Wideangle Prime	51	32
Telephoto Zoom	59	19
Telephoto Prime	44	11
SuperZoom	28	8
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	7	5
Macro Prime	28	4
Perspective Control Prime	16	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	333	119

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM	27.2 - 88mm	645gr	1201gr	111mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO	24 - 80mm	382gr	716gr	84mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM	80 - 240mm	1350gr	1906gr	198mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0	70 - 200mm	1650gr	1984gr	214mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM	48mm	435gr	991gr	63mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus M 25mm F1.8	50mm	136gr	470gr	41mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM	16 - 32mm	520gr	1076gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO	14 - 28mm	534gr	868gr	106mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM	24 - 136mm	575gr	1131gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD	24 - 120mm	575gr	909gr	99mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM	100 - 400mm	1590gr	2146gr	193mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS	300 - 800mm	1850gr	2184gr	314mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 400D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon 400D for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Image Stabilization
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Canon 400D for Sports Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-PL1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
No Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Image Stabilization
11 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
Read the details

Canon 400D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL1 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
556g
Body Thickness 65mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
334g
Body Thickness 42mm
Read the details

Canon 400D for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (22.2 x 14.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 400D vs Olympus E-PL1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 400D and Olympus E-PL1 scores compare:

Canon 400D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #72 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #611 out of 1255 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #92 out of 134 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #408 out of 1255 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL1 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 400D. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that E-PL1 trails behind the 400D: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 400D. If not, we recommend the Olympus E-PL1.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Canon 400D Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Canon EOS 400D	Olympus PEN E-PL1
Brand	Canon	Olympus
Announced	2006-10-14	2010-05-17
Body Type	Compact SLR	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	22.2 x 14.8 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	328.56mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	10 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	3888 x 2592	4032 x 3024
Max Native Light sensitivity	1,600 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Canon EF/EF-S	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	333	119
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	2.50"	2.70"
Resolution	230k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.5x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	No	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (ISO 100)	10.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	1280 x 720
Video Formats	n/a	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	556g	334g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 65mm	115 x 72 x 42mm
Battery Life	n/a	290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	62	54
DxO Color Depth	22.1	21.5
DxO Dynamic Range	11.0	10.1
DxO Low Light ISO	664	487
	Report a correction	Report a correction