Olympus E-P1 vs Sony W560

Here is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony W560, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the W560 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and W560 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was brought out 17 months prior to the W560 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W560 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the E-P1 scores against the W560 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W560. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Sony W560 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 has outside dimensions 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 W560 has proportions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P1 vs Sony W560 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-P1 and the W560.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and W560 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Often, it is tough to see the contrast in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and W560.

As you can see, both cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony W560 will render more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.