Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-5N

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-5N, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and NEX-5N (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and NEX-5N (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL1s was brought out 10 months prior to the NEX-5N which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL1s matches up against the NEX-5N with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s comes with exterior measurements of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5N has proportions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony NEX-5N in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL1s against the NEX-5N.

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

Normally, it's difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading specifications. The photograph underneath might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL1s and NEX-5N.

Plainly, both of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5N will offer extra detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images more aggressively. The older E-PL1s is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.