Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A99

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A99, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and A99 (24MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and A99 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL1 was announced 3 years prior to the A99 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PL1 matches up versus the A99 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Sony SLT-A99. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 provides outer dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 has proportions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1 vs Sony A99 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1 against the A99.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and A99 is 86 and 57 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by viewing specs. The image underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1 and A99.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A99 will render more detail with its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind in sensor tech.