Olympus E-P1 vs Sony A57

In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus E-P1 and Sony A57, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) possess different sensor sizing.

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The E-P1 was announced 4 years prior to the A57 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-P1 grades against the A57 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 features outside dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Sony A57 has specifications of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P1 and Sony A57 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P1 compared to the A57.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and A57 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to picture the gap between sensor measurements just by reviewing technical specs. The graphic here might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P1 and A57.

As you have seen, both of those cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh trickier and the Sony A57 will offer more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a little more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.