Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus SP-610UZ

Below is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus SP-610UZ, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the SP-610UZ (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and SP-610UZ (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was manufactured 21 months later than the SP-610UZ which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-610UZ being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL5 matches up against the SP-610UZ in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Olympus SP-610UZ. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Olympus SP-610UZ Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 offers outside measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Olympus SP-610UZ has measurements of 107mm x 73mm x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") with a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus SP-610UZ in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL5 against the SP-610UZ.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and SP-610UZ is 88 and 79 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the gap in sensor measurements simply by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and SP-610UZ.

As you can see, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will produce extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-PL5 provides a benefit in sensor tech.