Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A380

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A380, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the A380 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was launched within a month of the A380 which means that they are of a similar age. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-P1 matches up against the A380 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P1 enjoys outside 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) while the Sony A380 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A380 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P1 compared to the A380.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and A380 is 86 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The pic underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and A380.

As you can tell, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A380 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively.