Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-PL5

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-PL5, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are offered by Olympus. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-PL5 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was brought out 9 years prior to the E-PL5 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-1 matches up vs the E-PL5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-1 and Olympus PEN E-PL5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Olympus E-PL5 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 features external dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL5 has measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-PL5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-1 vs the E-PL5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and E-PL5 is 59 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing only by going over a spec sheet. The graphic here will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and E-PL5.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus E-PL5 to deliver extra detail having its extra 11 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.