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Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Comparison

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Olympus E-PL9

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

Olympus E-PL9
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Samsung NX mini

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Samsung NX mini
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Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing the E-PL9 and the NX mini, two Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Samsung. Olympus E-PL9 was introduced to the market in February 2018 and Samsung NX mini was launched in March 2014. As you can see, NX mini is 4 years older than E-PL9. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-PL9 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-02-08
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 6400 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 8.6fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 380g. 117 x 68 x 39 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL8 Compare

Samsung NX mini Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-03-19
  • 20MP - 1' BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Samsung NX-M Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 196g. 110 x 62 x 23 mm

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PL9 over Samsung NX mini
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 21 100 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 461k dots 125% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
8.6fps vs 6.0fps 2.6 fps faster
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
14.12µm2 vs 5.82µm2 142% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK E-PL9 PRICE


Reasons to choose Samsung NX mini over Olympus PEN E-PL9
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Max ISO
12.800 vs 6.400 100% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/16000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
650 shots vs 350 shots 300 more frames with a single charge
Weight
196 g vs 380 g 184 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
CHECK NX mini PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Continuous Shooting
8.6fps vs 6.0fps Fast shooting speeds
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini
Viewfinder
None vs None No eye-level shooting option
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-PL9 has external dimensions of 117 x 68 x 39 mm (4.61 x 2.68 x 1.54″) and weighs 380 g (0.84 lb / 13.40 oz) (including batteries). Samsung NX mini has external dimensions of 110 x 62 x 23 mm (4.33 x 2.44 x 0.91″) and weighs 196 g (0.43 lb / 6.91 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL9 and the Samsung NX mini. Samsung NX mini is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 6mm shorter and 16mm thinner than Olympus E-PL9.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL9 and the Samsung NX mini Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL9 and the Samsung NX mini Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini.
Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Olympus E-PL9 and the Samsung NX mini Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX mini is significantly lighter (184g ) than the Olympus E-PL9 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 also have to take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL9
NX mini
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

E-PL9
NX mini
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Olympus PEN E-PL9 nor Samsung NX mini provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, 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 Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels.


Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini: Sensor Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VIII processor. On the other hand, Samsung NX mini has a 20.5MP 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Samsung NX mini's sensor provides 4.5MP more than Olympus E-PL9'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 E-PL9 and NX mini sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini Cameras


As seen above, Olympus E-PL9 has a 1.9x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX mini. 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.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

The number of available lenses is a big deciding factor when choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that the Olympus E-PL9 has an advantage over the Samsung NX mini. There are 123 lenses for the Olympus E-PL9's Micro Four Thirds mount, but on the other hand, there are only 2 lenses for the Samsung NX mini's Samsung NX-M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Olympus E-PL9 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Samsung NX mini doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 1 lenses for Samsung NX-M mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-PL9 Lenses # of Samsung NX mini Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 n/a
Standard Prime 15 n/a
Wideangle Zoom 6 1
Wideangle Prime 32 1
Telephoto Zoom 21 n/a
Telephoto Prime 11 n/a
SuperZoom 8 n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 n/a
Macro Prime 5 n/a
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 123 2

What types of Photography are Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini 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.

Olympus E-PL9 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX mini for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.5MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Samsung NX-M Mount Lenses for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-PL9 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX mini for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Street Photography
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Check the Best Samsung NX-M Mount Lenses for Street Photography

Olympus E-PL9 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.6fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
121 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Sports Photography
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
21 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Samsung NX-M Mount Lenses for Sports Photography

Olympus E-PL9 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
380g
Read the details
196g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Olympus E-PL9 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung NX mini for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.5MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Check the Best Samsung NX-M Mount Lenses for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-PL9 vs Samsung NX mini: 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 Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini, 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 Olympus E-PL9 and Samsung NX mini scores compare:

Olympus E-PL9
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #31 out of 140 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #184 out of 1275 in all Cameras
Samsung NX mini
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #47 out of 140 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #244 out of 1275 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL9 has a higher Overall Score than the Samsung NX mini and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus E-PL9
Olympus E-PL9
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Samsung NX mini
Samsung NX mini
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Samsung NX mini vs Olympus E-PL9 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus PEN E-PL9 Samsung NX mini
Brand Olympus Samsung
Announced 2018-02-08 2014-03-19
Body Type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Four Thirds 1'
Dimensions 17.3 x 13 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 224.90mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 20.5 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 6,400 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 160 ISO
Min Boosted 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 121 21
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Samsung NX-M
Number of Available Lenses 123 2
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 461k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/16000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.60 m (at ISO 200) n/a
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.6 fps 6.0 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 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 380g 196g
Dimensions 117 x 68 x 39mm 110 x 62 x 23mm
Battery Life 350 shots 650 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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