Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony A380

Following is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony A380, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the A380 (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was unveiled 15 months after the A380 which makes them a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-PL1s scores vs the A380 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1s offers outside 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) whilst the Sony A380 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony A380 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s vs the A380.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and A380 is 86 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by reviewing technical specs. The picture here might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL1s and A380.

As you have seen, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A380 will deliver extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The younger E-PL1s provides an edge with regard to sensor innovation.