Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony a3500

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony a3500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and a3500 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and a3500 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was introduced 4 years prior to the a3500 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the a3500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Alpha a3500. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1 features outer measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony a3500 has sizing of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony a3500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL1 versus the a3500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and a3500 is 86 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizes purely by checking out specs. The pic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1 and a3500.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony a3500 will provide greater detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.