Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A500

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony A500, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is fairly close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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

The E-PL1 was introduced 9 months after the A500 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL1 grades vs the A500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 has got external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony A500 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony A500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL1 against the A500.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and A500 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Generally, its hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes simply by looking through a spec sheet. The picture underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and A500.

As you can see, both the cameras posses the exact same MP but different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 includes the smaller sensor which is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher. The more recent E-PL1 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.