Olympus E-P5 vs Sony QX1

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus E-P5 and Sony QX1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Lens-style by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the QX1 (20MP) is very well matched but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and QX1 (APS-C) come with different sensor size.

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The E-P5 was introduced 11 months earlier than the QX1 which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-P5 grades versus the QX1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P5 & Sony Alpha QX1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-P5 Gallery & Sony QX1 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P5 offers exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) whilst the Sony QX1 has measurements of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") along with a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P5 and Sony QX1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the E-P5 against the QX1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P5 and QX1 is 85 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements only by reading through technical specs. The graphic here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P5 and QX1.

As you have seen, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P5 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony QX1 will give more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-P5 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.