Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A290

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-P2 and Sony A290, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-P2 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P2 was revealed very close to the A290 and they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-P2 grades versus the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P2 comes with outer 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) whilst the Sony A290 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P2 and Sony A290 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-P2 versus the A290.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P2 and A290 is 86 and 66 respectively.

Normally, its tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by reviewing specifications. The photograph here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P2 and A290.

To sum up, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P2 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A290 will offer extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures more aggressively.