Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony TX5

The following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony TX5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the TX5 (10MP) is very well matched but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and TX5 (1/2.4") offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was unveiled 3 months after the TX5 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony TX5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-PL1 grades vs the TX5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony TX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 offers physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony TX5 has dimensions of 94mm x 57mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 148 grams (0.33 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony TX5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1 versus the TX5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and TX5 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions only by looking at technical specs. The image below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and TX5.

As you can tell, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL1 will give you greater detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics way more aggressively.