Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A37

The following is a extended review of the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony A37, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and A37 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A37 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The E-PL1 was launched 24 months earlier than the A37 which makes them a generation away from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL1 scores versus the A37 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Sony SLT-A37. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Sony A37 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1 enjoys exterior 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 A37 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony A37 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL1 vs the A37.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and A37 is 86 and 67 respectively.

Generally, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing specifications. The pic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1 and A37.

Plainly, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A37 will deliver more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.