Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A290

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-P1 and Sony A290, 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 A290 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was revealed 10 months earlier than the A290 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-P1 grades vs the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 provides external measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 and Sony A290 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-P1 compared to the A290.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and A290 is 86 and 66 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The image below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and A290.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 with its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony A290 will give extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.