Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony SLT-A57: A Hands-On Comparison Across Photography Genres

When diving into cameras from the early 2010s' mirrorless and DSLR contenders, Olympus's E-PL1 and Sony's SLT-A57 offer a fascinating window into two divergent philosophies: compact, rangefinder-style mirrorless versus more substantial, traditional DSLR-style SLT. Over years of rigorous side-by-side testing, I’ve closely examined how each performs - not just on paper but in the real world across multiple photographic disciplines.

In this detailed comparison, I’ll break down image quality, autofocus, ergonomics, and genre-specific strengths. Whether you’re in portrait, wildlife, or travel photography, my aim is to supply you with clear, practical insights to help determine which system better fits your creative goals and workflow.

Let’s start with the cameras’ physical identities.

Sitting in Your Hands: Size, Handling, and Controls

The Olympus E-PL1 champions compactness and simplicity. At just 115×72×42 mm and 334 grams, it’s unmistakably lightweight and slip-in-your-pocket friendly. The Sony A57 measures 132x98x81 mm, almost twice as heavy at 618 grams. There’s no question: the E-PL1 caters to maximum portability, while the A57 feels like a more substantial tool for prolonged shooting sessions.

When gripping both cameras, the A57's pronounced handgrip lends confidence and stability, especially with longer telephoto lenses attached. Olympus’s rangefinder-style body opts for a minimalist grip, which may feel less secure during dynamic shooting but keeps the form factor extremely trim.

Looking down from above reveals the control layout differences.

The A57 sports a wealth of physical dials and buttons on the top plate, including a mode dial, dedicated exposure compensation dial, and a rear control wheel - all influencing how swiftly photographers can adapt settings. The E-PL1’s top plate offers fewer physical controls, relying more on menu navigation and a lightweight interface. This sparse design aligns with its entry-level positioning but may slow down professional workflows.

If quick access and ergonomic reliability are priorities, the A57 clearly leads. However, for casual shooters valuing lightweight and ease-of-carry, Olympus's design remains appealing.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: Four Thirds vs APS-C

Sensor size is arguably the most fundamental hardware difference here, underpinning many image quality factors.

The Olympus E-PL1 features a 12MP Four Thirds sensor sized at 17.3 x 13 mm, while Sony's A57 boasts a larger 16MP APS-C sensor measuring 23.5 x 15.6 mm. The difference in sensor area - approximately 225 mm² vs 367 mm², about 1.6x larger for Sony - directly translates into improved light gathering and detail resolution.

In my lab tests, the A57 consistently outperforms the E-PL1 in dynamic range and noise performance. The DxO Mark overall scores underscore this: 75 for Sony vs 54 for Olympus - a significant margin reflecting superior color depth, dynamic range, and low-light ISO capabilities on Sony's sensor.

Specifically, Sony’s color depth clocks in at 23.4 bits versus 21.5 bits on Olympus, and its low-light ISO performance peaks at ISO 785 (signal-to-noise ratio benchmark) compared to Olympus’s 487. This gap materially affects image quality when pushing ISO sensitivity above base levels.

For landscape photographers who rely on extracting maximum shadow and highlight details or astrophotographers pushing high ISO limits, the A57 presents a distinct advantage. Conversely, the E-PL1 can be sufficient for well-lit scenarios or smaller print/web targets.

Screen and Viewfinder: Composing Your Frame

Both cameras eschew optical viewfinders, but the approach differs substantially.

The E-PL1 lacks a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). Instead, users depend on its 2.7-inch fixed LCD, sporting a modest 230k-dot resolution with anti-reflective HyperCrystal coating. In bright outdoor settings, this display showed limited visibility in my field testing, making composition a challenge for quick framing.

The Sony A57, on the other hand, shines with a 3-inch fully articulated Xtra Fine TFT LCD mounted on a 921k-dot panel, delivering markedly sharper previews and flexible viewing angles. Crucially, it includes a built-in 1440k-dot electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage and 0.7x magnification, improving eye-level shooting precision, especially in bright conditions or when using telephoto optics.

For street photography and general walk-around use, the articulated screen on the A57 facilitates low-angle or overhead shots with ease, a real boon during immersive sessions.

Live view autofocus responsiveness also benefited from the EVF presence, helping to maintain framing fluidity under varied lighting.

Lens Ecosystem and Mount Compatibility

The Olympus E-PL1 utilizes the Micro Four Thirds mount, boasting a mature, extensive system with over 100 native lenses, from pancake primes to telephoto zooms. This ecosystem is known for compact, high-quality optics optimized for the 2x crop sensor. Olympus and Panasonic both contribute excellent choices in prime and zoom categories, including specialty macro and fisheye lenses.

Sony’s A57 uses the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount with an impressive collection of around 143 lenses. The larger APS-C sensor benefits from lenses designed with a 1.5x crop factor and supports diverse optics - including many high-performance primes, legacy Minolta glass, and third-party options from Sigma, Tamron, and Zeiss.

Lensing is crucial for specialized photography areas like macro or wildlife tele lenses. While Olympus keeps things compact, Sony supports a broader array of super-telephoto options, especially relevant for sports and wildlife shooters.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Here the A57 pulls ahead through a more sophisticated hybrid AF.

Olympus’s E-PL1 relies on contrast-detection AF with 11 focus points, supporting continuous, single, selective area, and face detection. While usable in typical daylight, I noticed hunting and slower focus lock in dim indoor or fast-action scenes.

Sony’s A57 incorporates an advanced phase-detection AF system with 15 points and 3 cross-type sensors, combined with contrast detection. This hybrid system delivers rapid and accurate autofocus, with burst mode abilities shooting at 12 fps while tracking focus - a considerable advantage over the E-PL1’s modest 3 fps continuous shooting.

Wildlife and sports photographers will appreciate Sony’s improved tracking on moving subjects and tighter AF precision. Face detection was reliable on both but felt more responsive on the A57.

Portrait Photography: Skin Tones and Bokeh

Reproducing pleasing skin tones and smooth bokeh demands a synergy of sensor quality and lens optics.

Olympus’s micro four thirds sensor produces inherently deeper depth of field for a given aperture, making subject-background separation more challenging compared to APS-C. The E-PL1’s autofocus accuracy with face detection generally held up well in portrait framing but lacked the speed and precision in low light that Sony exhibited.

The A57’s APS-C sensor, paired with quality full-frame derived lenses, provides creamier backgrounds and better subject isolation. Skin tones rendered naturally and with subtle gradations, likely reflecting its higher color bit depth and dynamic range.

Samples from my portrait session in natural window light reveal Sony’s files retain more highlight recovery in skin details under backlit conditions.

Olympus E PL1 front Olympus E PL1 screen back Sony A57 front Sony A57 screen back

If portraits are your main priority, especially headshots or shallow depth of field work, the A57 emerges as the more capable tool.

Landscape Photography: Resolution and Dynamic Range

Landscape shooting rewards resolution, sensor dynamic range, and weather reliability.

The Sony A57 combines its larger sensor with 16MP resolution to produce richer, cleaner image files capable of capture in challenging lighting. The higher dynamic range (13 EV at base ISO vs Olympus’s 10 EV) enables nuanced shadows and highlight handling, vital for sweeping skies or shadowed valleys.

Sadly, neither camera offers environmental sealing, limiting their use in adverse weather without caution.

Olympus’s smaller sensor yields slightly less resolution but Micro Four Thirds lenses’ compact form and lighter weight make for a nimble hiking kit.

In practical hikes to alpine vistas, I found Olympus’s lower weight and smaller size advantageous for long day treks, but I reached for the Sony for more critical exposures where image fidelity was paramount.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Autofocus and Burst

Animals don’t wait, and action is fleeting. Here, the A57's strengths grow pronounced.

With 12 fps burst shooting combined with phase-detection AF and tracking, the Sony routinely nailed sharp images of twitching birds and running athletes during my field tests at a local bird sanctuary and soccer match.

Olympus’s slower 3 fps and contrast-based AF resulted in more missed focus opportunities and softer sequences, especially in erratic motion.

Moreover, Sony’s APS-C sensor crop provides moderate reach increase beneficial for distant wildlife, partnered with a more extensive telephoto lens lineup.

Street Photography: Discreteness and Portability

Street shooters prize compactness and discretion.

Here, the Olympus E-PL1 thrives with its rangefinder styling and light weight; it’s easy to sneak through crowds. Lens combos remain petite and less intimidating.

However, the small, lower-res screen complicates framing in bright daylight, occasionally forcing guesswork without an EVF.

Sony's A57, larger and heavier, draws more attention but grants superior framing accuracy thanks to its EVF and articulated screen. The choice depends on user style: stealthy minimalism versus full control and confidence.

Macro Photography: Close-up Performance

Neither camera offers native macro capabilities outright, but Micro Four Thirds’ extensive lens ecosystem includes excellent macro primes for Olympus.

I partnered the E-PL1 with a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens and appreciated the focusing precision and sensor stabilization for handheld close-ups of flowers and insects.

Sony supported with macro adapted lenses but with a heavier camera body; handheld macro work requires steadier hand or tripod.

Night and Astrophotography: High ISO and Exposure Modes

Low-light performance favors Sony’s larger APS-C sensor and higher max ISO (native ISO 16,000 vs Olympus’s 3,200 max).

In dark urban environments and star field testing, the A57’s files exhibited cleaner shadows and reduced chroma noise at higher ISOs. Olympus struggled beyond ISO 800, producing noticeably grainier images.

Neither camera has specialized long exposure or bulb modes beyond the basics, limiting astrophotography niche functionality.

Video Capabilities: Resolution and Stabilization

Videographers have a clear winner.

Sony A57 shoots Full HD 1080p video at 60p and 24p, supporting multiple codecs including AVCHD and MPEG-4, delivering smooth, high-quality footage.

Olympus E-PL1 tops out at 720p 30fps in Motion JPEG - a dated format with large files and lower efficiency.

Neither offers in-body stabilization optimized for video, but Olympus’s sensor stabilization helps moderate hand shake when shooting handheld video.

Sony’s inclusion of an external microphone port offers better audio capture potential, which I found invaluable during interviews and event shooting.

Travel Photography: Versatility and Battery Life

For globe trotters, battery longevity and gear versatility are crucial.

Sony’s NP-FM500H battery almost doubles the E-PL1’s runtime (550 shots vs 290 shots per CIPA standards), essential for extended outings.

The Olympus wins on size and weight but loses ground when factoring in the need for external viewfinder or larger zoom lenses for versatility.

Storage-wise, Sony’s wider card and Memory Stick support trumps the single SD/SDHC slot on Olympus.

Workflow and Professional Use: Reliability and File Formats

Both cameras capture raw files, but Sony’s larger sensor raw format offers richer editing latitude.

Sony supports more advanced bracketing modes and flash capabilities, including wireless, high-speed sync, and rear curtain flash - features appreciated in studio and event environments.

Neither camera features weather sealing or rugged build; professional users may want to consider these limitations.

Summing It All Up: Which Camera Fits Your Needs?

Analytically, the Sony A57 outperforms the Olympus E-PL1 in nearly every measurable way: sensor resolution, dynamic range, autofocus speed, burst rate, video specs, battery life, and overall performance. It’s a better all-rounder for serious enthusiasts stepping into DSLR territory without breaking the bank.

Yet Olympus’s E-PL1 holds appeal for photographers prioritizing portability and simplicity, especially street shooters or casual hobbyists who favor convenience over outright speed and image quality.

How They Stack Up Across Genres

• Portraits: Sony A57 leads with superior skin tone rendering, bokeh, and autofocus precision.
• Landscapes: Sony edges ahead via dynamic range and resolution but Olympus’s compactness aids mobility.
• Wildlife & Sports: Sony dominates with fast AF and burst shooting.
• Street: Olympus favored for stealth and size; Sony controls composition.
• Macro: Olympus benefits from stabilized sensor and native macro lenses.
• Night/Astro: Sony delivers cleaner high-ISO images.
• Video: Sony is more capable, supporting Full HD 60p and external audio.
• Travel: Olympus offers portability; Sony extends battery endurance.
• Professional: Sony better suits workflow demands with advanced features.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

When choosing between the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony A57, it boils down to your shooting priorities:

• If you want lightweight, stealthy street or travel gear, and mostly shoot in good light with occasional video, the Olympus E-PL1 is worthy, budget-friendly, and user-friendly.

• If your main interests include action, wildlife, portraits, video production, or a more professional workflow, the Sony A57 excels with its larger sensor, superior autofocus, advanced video features, and robust handling.

Neither camera is weather-sealed, so outdoor photographers should plan accordingly. Also, consider lens investments; Olympus’s smaller system lenses are compact and affordable, while Sony’s APS-C lenses offer higher performance but bulk and cost more.

Over the past decade, both cameras paved paths in mirrorless and SLT evolution. Sony’s stronger core tech still shows in performance today, but Olympus’s E-PL1 remains a charming option for beginners and minimalists.

Happy shooting, whether you side with compact elegance or DSLR muscle!