Olympus E-PL1s vs Sony HX5

Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony HX5, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL1s (12MP) and the HX5 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and HX5 (1/2.4") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1s was announced 6 months later than the HX5 and they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-PL1s matches up versus the HX5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL1s offers external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Sony HX5 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL1s and Sony HX5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL1s versus the HX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and HX5 is 86 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by going through technical specs. The photograph underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and HX5.

As you can tell, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL1s using its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL1s will provide extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively.