Olympus E-P1 vs Sony NEX-5T

The following is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony NEX-5T, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5T (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The E-P1 was launched 5 years earlier than the NEX-5T which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-P1 matches up versus the NEX-5T when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P1 features outer 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 NEX-5T has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P1 versus Sony NEX-5T in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-P1 compared to the NEX-5T.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and NEX-5T is 86 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading through technical specs. The picture here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and NEX-5T.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5T will give extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.