Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A330

Following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony A330, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the A330 (10MP) is very close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A330 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1 was manufactured 13 months after the A330 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A330 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL1 grades against the A330 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A330. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony A330 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 provides external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony A330 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 529 grams (1.17 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony A330 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the E-PL1 versus the A330.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and A330 is 86 and 67 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The image below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and A330.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-PL1 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL1 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.