Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A560

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A560, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the A560 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A560 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-M1 was manufactured 3 years later than the A560 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-M1 scores against the A560 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony A560 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M1 has physical dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Sony A560 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A560 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 versus the A560.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and A560 is 71 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and A560.

As you can see, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 should have an edge in sensor innovation.