Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A700

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A700, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and A700 (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and A700 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was announced 5 years after the A700 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-M1 matches up vs the A700 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony A700 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 has got external measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony A700 has specifications of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") along with a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M1 vs Sony A700 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-M1 vs the A700.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and A700 is 71 and 58 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and A700.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-M1 will offer greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 provides an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.