Olympus E-M5 vs Sony W230

Here, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M5 and Sony W230, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and W230 (12MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and W230 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

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The E-M5 was announced 3 years later than the W230 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W230 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short view of how the E-M5 scores vs the W230 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Sony W230 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 enjoys exterior 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) while the Sony W230 has measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 and Sony W230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M5 versus the W230.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 and W230 is 81 and 95 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through technical specs. The graphic here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and W230.

As you can tell, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will give you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The younger E-M5 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.