Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A100

The following is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A100, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the A100 (10MP) is fairly similar but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A100 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was brought out 3 years after the A100 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-P1 scores vs the A100 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P1 comes with physical dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Sony A100 has measurements of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") having a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P1 versus the A100.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and A100 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to see the difference between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The pic here should provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and A100.

As you have seen, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus E-P1 will offer you greater detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-P1 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.