Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A550

Here is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony A550, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was introduced 6 months later than the A550 so they are both of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the A550 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1 features physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony A550 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony A550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1 versus the A550.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and A550 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing merely by checking technical specs. The visual below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and A550.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony A550 will give greater detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively.