Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony HX200V

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony HX200V, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and HX200V (18MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and HX200V (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was unveiled 15 months prior to the HX200V making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX200V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-PL2 scores vs the HX200V with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Sony HX200V Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL2 provides external measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Sony HX200V has sizing of 122mm x 87mm x 93mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 3.7") having a weight of 583 grams (1.29 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony HX200V in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL2 against the HX200V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and HX200V is 85 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements merely by going over a spec sheet. The graphic below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and HX200V.

As you can see, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony HX200V will offer extra detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.