Olympus E-P5 vs Sony A550

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-P5 versus Sony A550, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-P5 was manufactured 3 years after the A550 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-P5 grades against the A550 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-P5 has got physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) while the Sony A550 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P5 versus Sony A550 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P5 versus the A550.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P5 and A550 is 85 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions just by viewing a spec sheet. The image below may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P5 and A550.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P5 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Olympus E-P5 will result in more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The fresher E-P5 provides a benefit with regard to sensor technology.