Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony WX500

Here is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony WX500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and WX500 (18MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1 was released 5 years before the WX500 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the WX500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony WX500 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1 features physical measurements 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 WX500 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony WX500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1 and the WX500.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and WX500 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to see the gap between sensor sizing merely by looking at technical specs. The photograph below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and WX500.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony WX500 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.