Olympus E-M1 vs Sony W690

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony W690, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the W690 (16MP) is pretty close but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and W690 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor size.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The E-M1 was announced 21 months later than the W690 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W690 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-M1 grades vs the W690 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Sony W690 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 provides outer 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 W690 has dimensions of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony W690 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 vs the W690.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and W690 is 71 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 and W690.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got the exact same resolution albeit not the same sensor sizing. The E-M1 offers the bigger sensor which should make getting shallow DOF less difficult. The more modern E-M1 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.