Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A500

Here is a extensive assessment of the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was introduced 3 years later than the A500 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL5 scores against the A500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 features outside measurements 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 Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL5 and the A500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and A500 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The visual here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and A500.

As you have seen, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus E-PL5 will render more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL5 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.