Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-5

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-5, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is very close but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL1s was announced 6 months later than the NEX-5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras feature the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL1s grades vs the NEX-5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL1s features external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has sizing of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the NEX-5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and NEX-5 is 86 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing simply by looking through specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and NEX-5.

As you can plainly see, both cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-5 will result in greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images way more aggressively.