Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL7

Following is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-5 versus Olympus E-PL7, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and E-PL7 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-5 was unveiled 4 years earlier than the E-PL7 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-5 grades vs the E-PL7 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 and Olympus PEN E-PL7. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Olympus E-PL7 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 has outside measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL7 has specifications of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-5 versus Olympus E-PL7 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-5 and the E-PL7.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and E-PL7 is 58 and 86 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through specs. The image underneath might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and E-PL7.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Olympus E-PL7 to resolve more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.