Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL6

Here is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL6, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and E-PL6 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was released 4 years before the E-PL6 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a in depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-5 grades against the E-PL6 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 & Olympus PEN E-PL6. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Olympus E-PL6 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-5 features exterior measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL6 has proportions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL6 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-5 and the E-PL6.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and E-PL6 is 58 and 88 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing only by checking technical specs. The photograph underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and E-PL6.

As you have seen, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus E-PL6 to give you more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older E-5 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.