Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL1s

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL1s, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and E-PL1s (12MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor dimensions (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-M5 was manufactured 18 months later than the E-PL1s which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-M5 matches up against the E-PL1s when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Olympus PEN E-PL1s. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Olympus E-PL1s Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 comes with outside measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-PL1s has proportions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL1s in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-M5 against the E-PL1s.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and E-PL1s is 81 and 86 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to see the difference in sensor measurements just by researching a spec sheet. The visual here will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and E-PL1s.

Clearly, each of these cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus E-M5 to render extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The younger E-M5 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.