Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony W620

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony W620, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the W620 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and W620 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was brought out 20 months prior to the W620 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W620 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-PL1 grades vs the W620 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W620. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony W620 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 provides physical dimensions 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 W620 has specifications of 98mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 116 grams (0.26 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL1 versus Sony W620 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1 and the W620.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL1 and W620 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to see the difference in sensor sizing only by viewing technical specs. The visual below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and W620.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony W620 will result in extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.