Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A550

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A550, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL5 was introduced 2 years after the A550 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-PL5 scores vs the A550 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 has external 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 A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A550 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the A550.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and A550 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to see the difference between sensor sizes purely by checking a spec sheet. The pic here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and A550.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus E-PL5 will resolve more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The newer E-PL5 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.