Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus SP-820UZ

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus SP-820UZ, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are built by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the SP-820UZ (14MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and SP-820UZ (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was unveiled at a similar time to the SP-820UZ which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL5 scores against the SP-820UZ in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera often, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 has got outside dimensions 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-820UZ has dimensions of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") and a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus SP-820UZ in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 and the SP-820UZ.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and SP-820UZ is 88 and 69 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing just by reading specifications. The visual here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and SP-820UZ.

To sum up, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will offer extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively.