Canon S90 vs Olympus E-PM1

Olympus E-PM1 advantages over Canon S90

• Larger sensor
  4/3 vs 1/1.7 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.29 vs 2.08 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  E-PM1 test data on DxO Mark S90 test data on DxO Mark
  499 vs 185 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  330 vs 220 shots
  Capture more photos
• Manual focus
  Yes vs No
  AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
• HDMI out
  HDMI out vs None
  Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• Less shutter lag
  0.25 vs 0.43 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  12.3 vs 10.0 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Longer exposure
  60 vs 15 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Faster JPEG shooting
  5.3 fps vs 0.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/4000 vs 1/1600 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light