Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony A390

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony A390, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL2 (12MP) and the A390 (14MP) is fairly close but the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL2 was announced 7 months later than the A390 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a complete comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL2 matches up vs the A390 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL2 has got exterior dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Sony A390 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony A390 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL2 compared to the A390.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and A390 is 85 and 66 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by researching specs. The visual underneath might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and A390.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 having a smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more difficult and the Sony A390 will render extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The younger E-PL2 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.