Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus SP-600 UZ

Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus SP-600 UZ, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are sold by Olympus. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and SP-600 UZ (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and SP-600 UZ (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was announced 2 years later than the SP-600 UZ and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-600 UZ being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-PL5 scores versus the SP-600 UZ with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Olympus SP-600 UZ. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Olympus SP-600 UZ Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 provides outside measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Olympus SP-600 UZ has measurements of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") having a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus SP-600 UZ in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL5 versus the SP-600 UZ.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and SP-600 UZ is 88 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specifications. The graphic here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and SP-600 UZ.

To sum up, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 using its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will produce more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.