Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus E-PL6

Here is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL6, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the E-PL6 (16MP) is fairly close and both cameras boast the same sensor size (Four Thirds).

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The E-M5 was released 3 years earlier than the E-PL6 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-M5 scores versus the E-PL6 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Olympus PEN E-PL6. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Olympus E-PL6 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 offers physical dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL6 has sizing of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 and Olympus E-PL6 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 compared to the E-PL6.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and E-PL6 is 81 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and E-PL6.

As you can see, both of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions and the exact same MP therefore you should expect comparable quality of photographs though you really should take the release date of the cameras into account. The older E-M5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.