Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290
86 Imaging
47 Features
43 Overall
45


66 Imaging
54 Features
47 Overall
51
Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
- Announced November 2010
- Replaced the Olympus E-PL1
- Replacement is Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Introduced June 2010
- Replaced the Sony A230

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Overview
Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

The E-PL1s was released 6 months after the A290 so they are of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL1s scores versus the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1s over the Sony A290
E-PL1s | A290 |
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Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Olympus E-PL1s
A290 | E-PL1s |
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Common features in the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony A290
E-PL1s | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | November 2010 | ![]() | June 2010 | Same generation |
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial precise focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display dimension | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.7" | Identical display size |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Identical display resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither has Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1s has physical measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL1s vs the A290.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and A290 is 86 and 66 respectively.

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is very tough to envision the gap in sensor sizes only by looking through specs. The picture below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and A290.
All in all, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony A290 will result in extra detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively.

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL1s | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL1s | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2010-11-16 | 2010-06-09 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Truepic V | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 2.7" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 10.00 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/160s | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
Video format | Motion JPEG | - |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 334g (0.74 lb) | 549g (1.21 lb) |
Dimensions | 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | not tested | 66 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.5 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 615 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 290 photographs | 290 photographs |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-1 | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at release | $599 | $600 |