Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A350

Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A350, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the A350 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A350 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was revealed 4 years after the A350 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-PL5 scores against the A350 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A350 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Sony A350 has measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A350 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Following is the front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 versus the A350.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and A350 is 88 and 62 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to envision the difference in sensor sizes just by seeing specifications. The pic below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and A350.

To sum up, both cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-PL5 will produce more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.