Olympus E-620 vs Sony NEX-5

In this write-up, we will be looking at the Olympus E-620 versus Sony NEX-5, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-620 (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the E-620 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-620 was unveiled 11 months prior to the NEX-5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-620 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the E-620 grades against the NEX-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-620 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-620 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-620 offers exterior measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 60mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.4") having a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

See the Olympus E-620 versus Sony NEX-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-620 compared to the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-620 and NEX-5 is 71 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through specs. The photograph here will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-620 and NEX-5.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-620 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony NEX-5 will give more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-620 is going to be behind in sensor technology.