Olympus E-PL2 vs Samsung NX500

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-PL2 and Samsung NX500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by brands Olympus and Samsung. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and NX500 (28MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and NX500 (APS-C) possess different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was manufactured 5 years prior to the NX500 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-PL2 matches up vs the NX500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Samsung NX500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Samsung NX500 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with exterior dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Samsung NX500 has measurements of 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Samsung NX500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL2 vs the NX500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and NX500 is 85 and 87 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by researching technical specs. The image here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and NX500.

As you have seen, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Samsung NX500 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 16 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.