Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A290

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.