Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A500

Below is a extended review of the Olympus E-P5 and Sony A500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-P5 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P5 was manufactured 4 years later than the A500 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-P5 matches up vs the A500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-P5 enjoys outside dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) while the Sony A500 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P5 and Sony A500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-P5 and the A500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P5 and A500 is 85 and 63 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The photograph below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and A500.

As you have seen, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P5 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will give extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The younger E-P5 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.