Olympus E-PL2 vs Sony A77

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus E-PL2 and Sony A77, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and A77 (24MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and A77 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL2 was unveiled 8 months before the A77 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A77 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-PL2 scores versus the A77 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Sony SLT-A77. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Sony A77 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL2 offers exterior dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Sony A77 has dimensions of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 732 grams (1.61 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL2 and Sony A77 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL2 vs the A77.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and A77 is 85 and 59 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing simply by checking out specifications. The photograph here will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and A77.

Plainly, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL2 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A77 will produce greater detail having an extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.