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Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2

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Nikon L32

20 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon L32
$249.00
or
BUY
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Olympus E-PL2

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

Olympus E-PL2
CHECK PRICE
or
BUY
Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon L32, which was introduced in January 2015 is a Ultracompact camera with a 20.0MP 1/2.3" sensor whereas Olympus E-PL2, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L32 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-01-14
  • 20MP - 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 26-130 mm F3.2-6.5 Zoom Lens
  • Digital only Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fully Articulated Screen
  • continuous shooting
  • 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 164g. 95 x 60 x 29 mm

Olympus E-PL2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-11
  • 12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fixed Type Screen
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 362g. 114 x 72 x 42 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL1s Compare

Olympus E-PL2 was replaced by Olympus PEN E-PL3. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus PEN E-PL3 vs Olympus PEN E-PL2
Olympus PEN E-PL3 vs Nikon Coolpix L32

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L32 over Olympus PEN E-PL2
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Max Sensor Resolution 20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Battery Life 320 shots vs 280 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Weight 164 g vs 362 g 198 g lighter
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PL2 over Nikon Coolpix L32
External Flash Shoe Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO 6.400 vs 1.600 300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution 460k dots vs 230k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster shutter speed
Flash Coverage 10.0m vs 4.3m 5.7m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area 18.45µm2 vs 1.41µm2 1208% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L32 and Olympus PEN E-PL2
Image Stabilization Digital only vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L32 and Olympus PEN E-PL2
LCD Screen Resolution 230k dots vs 460k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2. Nikon L32 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 19mm narrower, 12mm shorter and 13mm thinner than Olympus E-PL2. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon L32 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PL2 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PL2, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2.
Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon L32 is significantly lighter (198g ) than the Olympus E-PL2 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-PL2, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2: Sensor Comparison

Nikon L32 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Olympus E-PL2 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Truepic V processor.

Nikon L32's sensor provides 8MP more than Olympus E-PL2's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the L32 and E-PL2 sensor size comparison.

Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Olympus E-PL2 has a 8.0x Larger sensor area than Nikon L32. 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.

What types of Photography are Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2 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.

Nikon L32 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL2 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
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

Nikon L32 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-PL2 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
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

Nikon L32 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL2 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
130 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 280 shots
Read the details

Nikon L32 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL2 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
164g
5X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
362g
Body Thickness 42mm
Read the details

Nikon L32 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL2 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
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


Nikon L32 vs Olympus E-PL2: 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 Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 Nikon L32 and Olympus E-PL2 scores compare:

Nikon L32
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #54 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #892 out of 1168 in all Cameras
Olympus E-PL2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #71 out of 119 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #300 out of 1168 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL2 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon L32 in all criterias except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon L32. Otherwise, Olympus E-PL2 is the better camera overall.

Nikon L32
Nikon L32
$249.00

Olympus E-PL2
Olympus E-PL2
CHECK PRICE

Olympus E-PL2 vs Nikon L32 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix L32 Olympus PEN E-PL2
Brand Nikon Olympus
Announced 2015-01-14 2011-02-11
Body Type Ultracompact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Price $249.00 $0.00
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3" Four Thirds
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 28.07mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 5152 x 3864 4032 x 3024
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 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 n/a 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses n/a 98
Lens Focal Range 26-130 mm (5×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.2-6.5 no lens
Macro Focus Range 10cm no lens
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 230k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Digital only Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.30 m 10.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting n/a 3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1280 x 720
Video Formats Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 164g 362g
Dimensions 95 x 60 x 29mm 114 x 72 x 42mm
Battery Life 320 shots 280 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 55
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.4
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 10.2
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 573
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