Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A230

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A230, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 was announced 4 years after the A230 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the E-M1 scores against the A230 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 has outer measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Sony A230 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 and Sony A230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-M1 versus the A230.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and A230 is 71 and 69 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by researching specifications. The picture below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and A230.

Plainly, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will result in more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.