Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony a5000

The following is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony a5000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and a5000 (20MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and a5000 (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1 was launched 4 years prior to the a5000 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL1 grades against the a5000 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Alpha a5000. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony a5000 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 offers outside measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony a5000 has dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony a5000 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select during that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1 vs the a5000.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and a5000 is 86 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching specs. The picture below will provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and a5000.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony a5000 will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.