Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus 550WP

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus 550WP, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are offered by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and 550WP (10MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and 550WP (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was unveiled 3 years after the 550WP which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-PL5 grades against the 550WP when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Olympus Stylus 550WP. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Olympus 550WP Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 offers exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Olympus 550WP has dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus 550WP in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. The following is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 versus the 550WP.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and 550WP is 88 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by going over technical specs. The pic underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and 550WP.

As you have seen, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will offer you more detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent E-PL5 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.