Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A700

Here is a complete comparison of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A700, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and A700 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A700 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL5 was unveiled 4 years later than the A700 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the E-PL5 scores against the A700 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A700 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 offers outer dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony A700 has measurements of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") along with a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A700 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the A700.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and A700 is 88 and 58 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizing simply by looking at specifications. The visual below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and A700.

Plainly, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-PL5 will give greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.