Olympus E-P2 vs Sony RX100 VA

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-P2 and Sony RX100 VA, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and RX100 VA (20MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and RX100 VA (1") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-P2 was revealed 9 years earlier than the RX100 VA which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the E-P2 scores against the RX100 VA with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P2 has got physical measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Sony RX100 VA has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P2 and Sony RX100 VA in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-P2 against the RX100 VA.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and RX100 VA is 86 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P2 and RX100 VA.

Clearly, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P2 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony RX100 VA will result in greater detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.