Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A200

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony A200, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the A200 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A200 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was brought out 23 months after the A200 which makes them a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A200 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-PL1 scores vs the A200 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A200. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony A200 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 provides physical measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony A200 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 572 grams (1.26 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony A200 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL1 and the A200.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and A200 is 86 and 66 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The pic here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and A200.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-PL1 will resolve more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The newer E-PL1 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.