Olympus E-M5 vs Sony A560

Here, we are matching up the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony A560, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the A560 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and A560 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

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The E-M5 was manufactured 21 months after the A560 making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-M5 scores versus the A560 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony A560 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 has exterior measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony A560 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M5 versus Sony A560 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 against the A560.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and A560 is 81 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor dimensions only by researching technical specs. The pic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and A560.

As you have seen, both of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M5 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh tougher and the Olympus E-M5 will result in more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images way more aggressively. The younger E-M5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.