Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A580

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A580, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and A580 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and A580 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P2 was brought out 13 months earlier than the A580 making them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-P2 grades versus the A580 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-P2 features outer dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Sony A580 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P2 vs Sony A580 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P2 versus the A580.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and A580 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to see the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading specifications. The visual below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P2 and A580.

Plainly, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P2 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Sony A580 will deliver more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images more aggressively. The older E-P2 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.