Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A850

The following is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A850, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A850 (Full frame) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P1 was launched 8 months earlier than the A850 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-P1 scores versus the A850 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P1 has got exterior measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Sony A850 has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A850 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-P1 and the A850.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and A850 is 86 and 54 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions purely by researching specs. The image below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and A850.

All in all, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A850 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 13MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.