Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A230

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A230, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was unveiled 3 years later than the A230 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-PL5 grades vs the A230 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys outside dimensions 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 Sony A230 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A230 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL5 versus the A230.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and A230 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by going through a spec sheet. The photograph below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and A230.

Clearly, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus E-PL5 will provide extra detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The fresher E-PL5 is going to have an edge in sensor innovation.