Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony WX50

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony WX50, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and WX50 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and WX50 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was introduced 20 months before the WX50 making them a generation away from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX50 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-PL1 matches up vs the WX50 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony WX50 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1 has external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony WX50 has specifications of 92mm x 52mm x 19mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.7") and a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony WX50 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL1 against the WX50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and WX50 is 86 and 96 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes just by seeing technical specs. The pic underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and WX50.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony WX50 will produce greater detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind in sensor tech.