Olympus E-P7 vs YI M1

The Olympus PEN E-P7 and the YI M1 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in June 2021 and September 2016. Both the E-P7 and the M1 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 20.2 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-P7		YI M1
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		Micro Four Thirds lenses
20.2 MP – Four Thirds sensor		20.2 MP – Four Thirds sensor
4K/30p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 100-25,600
No viewfinder, LCD framing		No viewfinder, LCD framing
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Fixed touchscreen
8.7 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens stabilization only
360 shots per battery charge		450 shots per battery charge
118 x 69 x 38 mm, 337 g		114 x 64 x 34 mm, 281 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus PEN E-P7 and the YI M1? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-P7 and the YI M1. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-P7 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the M1 is available in two color-versions (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the YI M1 is notably smaller (10 percent) than the Olympus E-P7. Moreover, the M1 is markedly lighter (17 percent) than the E-P7. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-P7 nor the M1 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the E-P7 gets 360 shots out of its Olympus BLS-50 battery, while the M1 can take 450 images on a single charge of its YI BXM-10 power pack. The power pack in the M1 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-P7	118 mm	69 mm	38 mm	337 g	360	n	Jun 2021	US$ 799	amazon.com
2.		YI M1	114 mm	64 mm	34 mm	281 g	450	n	Sep 2016	US$ 349	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX420	104 mm	69 mm	85 mm	325 g	195	n	Jan 2016	US$ 299	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX710	113 mm	66 mm	35 mm	269 g	230	n	Jan 2015	US$ 349	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX730	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	300 g	250	n	Apr 2017	US$ 399	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	117 mm	67 mm	40 mm	339 g	410	n	Aug 2016	US$ 399	ebay.com
7.		Nikon 1 J5	98 mm	60 mm	32 mm	231 g	250	n	Apr 2015	US$ 399	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-M10 III	122 mm	84 mm	50 mm	410 g	330	n	Aug 2017	US$ 649	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	122 mm	84 mm	49 mm	383 g	360	n	Aug 2020	US$ 699	amazon.com
11.		Olympus E-P1	121 mm	70 mm	36 mm	355 g	300	n	Jun 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-P2	121 mm	70 mm	36 mm	355 g	300	n	Nov 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-P3	122 mm	69 mm	34 mm	369 g	330	n	Jun 2011	US$ 799	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
15.		Olympus E-PL9	117 mm	68 mm	39 mm	380 g	350	n	Feb 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic GX9	124 mm	72 mm	47 mm	407 g	260	n	Feb 2018	US$ 849	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic TZ200	111 mm	65 mm	45 mm	340 g	370	n	Feb 2018	US$ 799	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The M1 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 56 percent) than the E-P7, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 2.0. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Even though the E-P7 has a slightly larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 20.2 megapixels. This implies that the E-P7 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.34μm versus 3.34μm for the M1), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. In addition, the E-P7 is much more recent (by 4 years and 8 months) than the M1, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Olympus PEN E-P7 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the YI M1 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-P7	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.4	13.3	1494	77
2.		YI M1	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.0	12.6	1030	73
3.		Canon SX420	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/25p	20.3	11.7	806	48
4.		Canon SX710	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	712	47
5.		Canon SX730	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	924	50
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.1	1663	81
7.		Nikon 1 J5	1-inch	20.7	5568	3712	4K/15p	21.1	12.0	479	65
8.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
9.		Olympus E-M10 III	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1120	74
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.3	13.2	1402	76
11.		Olympus E-P1	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.4	10.4	536	55
12.		Olympus E-P2	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.5	10.4	505	56
13.		Olympus E-P3	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	1080/60i	20.8	10.1	536	51
14.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
15.		Olympus E-PL9	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1162	74
16.		Panasonic GX9	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1163	74
17.		Panasonic TZ200	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	449	64
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (4K/30p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-P7 and the M1 are similar in the sense that neither of the two has a viewfinder. The images are, thus, framed using live view on the rear LCD. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-P7 and YI M1 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Olympus E-P7	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.7/s	Y	Y
2.		YI M1	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
3.		Canon SX420	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	0.5/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon SX710	none	n	3.0 / 922	fixed	n	1/3200s	6.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon SX730	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	5.9/s	Y	Y
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon 1 J5	none	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	60.0/s	Y	n
8.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Olympus E-M10 III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	15.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus E-P1	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	Y
12.		Olympus E-P2	optional	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	Y
13.		Olympus E-P3	optional	n	3.0 / 614	fixed	Y	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Olympus E-PL9	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.6/s	Y	Y
16.		Panasonic GX9	2760	n	3.0 / 1240	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Panasonic TZ200	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The E-P7 has one, while the M1 does not. While the built-in flash of the E-P7 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the E-P7 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Olympus E-P7 and the YI M1 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-P7 and the M1 write their files to SDXC cards. The E-P7 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the M1 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus PEN E-P7 and YI M1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-P7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		YI M1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon SX420	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX710	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon SX730	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Nikon 1 J5	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Olympus E-M10 III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Olympus E-P1	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Olympus E-P2	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Olympus E-P3	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
15.		Olympus E-PL9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
16.		Panasonic GX9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
17.		Panasonic TZ200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

The E-P7 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Olympus. In contrast, the M1 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the M1 from YI. Further information on the features and operation of the E-P7 and M1 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-P7 Manual (free pdf) or the online YI M1 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus E-P7 or the YI M1 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus PEN E-P7:

• More flexible LCD: Has a tilting screen for odd-angle shots in landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (8.7 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports Ultra High Speed (UHS-II) SDXC cards.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 8 months of technical progress since the M1 launch.

Advantages of the YI M1:

• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 56g or 17 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (450 versus 360) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (56 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in September 2016).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-P7 emerges as the winner of the contest (8 : 5 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-P7 and the YI M1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-P7 or the M1. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-P7	4/5	..	4.5/5	..	..	4.5/5	Jun 2021	US$ 799	amazon.com
2.		YI M1	..	..	..	69/100	..	..	Sep 2016	US$ 349	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX420	..	..	..	..	..	3/5	Jan 2016	US$ 299	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX710	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 349	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX730	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	US$ 399	ebay.com
6.		Fujifilm X-A3	..	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2016	US$ 399	ebay.com
7.		Nikon 1 J5	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	US$ 399	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 699	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-M10 III	..	+	5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 649	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M10 IV	4.5/5	..	5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2020	US$ 699	amazon.com
11.		Olympus E-P1	..	+	..	66/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-P2	3/5	+	..	69/100	4/5	4.5/5	Nov 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-P3	..	83/100	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2011	US$ 799	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	US$ 999	ebay.com
15.		Olympus E-PL9	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic GX9	4/5	+	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 849	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic TZ200	..	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 799	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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