Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony NEX-5N: A Detailed Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

In the ever-evolving landscape of mirrorless cameras, two notable entry-level contenders from the early 2010s - Olympus’s E-PL5 and Sony’s NEX-5N - often invite comparison. Both aimed to democratize high-quality imaging with compact bodies, interchangeable lenses, and sophisticated features. With nearly a decade of technological progress behind us, revisiting these models reveals how early mirrorless designs balanced trade-offs in sensor size, ergonomics, autofocus, and feature sets. Drawing from exhaustive hands-on testing with these cameras and similar devices, I’ll dissect their performance across genres, technical fidelity, and practical usability, giving you a nuanced viewpoint grounded in real-world usage.

Let’s embark on a journey through the heart of image-making with these two cameras.

First Impressions and Handling: Size, Ergonomics, and Real-World Comfort

Grabbing a camera often begins with how it feels in the hand - a vital tactile connection that can define your shooting experience.

Physically, both cameras embrace a rangefinder-style mirrorless silhouette but diverge in subtle yet impactful ways. The Olympus E-PL5 measures 111 x 64 x 38 mm and weighs approximately 325 g, while the Sony NEX-5N is slightly slimmer at 111 x 59 x 38 mm and lighter at 269 g. This size difference, though modest, translates into a more compact pocketability for the Sony, albeit with a trade-off in grip heft.

The E-PL5’s body incorporates a more substantial textured grip, catering to sustained handheld use, especially beneficial for extended shooting sessions or when wielding larger lenses. The NEX-5N’s slimmer form factors skew towards street photographers and travelers prioritizing minimalism without the burden of bulk. However, the smaller grip can challenge those with larger hands or those shooting for hours.

Ergonomics champion usability: Olympus thoughtfully positions key controls such as dedicated exposure compensation and customizable buttons within thumb’s reach. Sony’s control scheme tends toward minimalism, an inheritance from its early NEX-series design ethos, sometimes necessitating diving into menus or multifunction dials for adjustments.

As someone who repeatedly tested these alongside modern cameras, I find the E-PL5 better suited for users valuing refined control access, while the NEX-5N appeals to photographers seeking a less intrusive, straightforward form factor.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Size Matters

A camera’s sensor is the soul of image quality. The relatively small Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor of the Olympus and the larger APS-C sensor of the Sony represent two design philosophies prevalent at the time - compactness versus image fidelity.

The E-PL5 features a 16-megapixel Four Thirds CMOS sensor (17.3 x 13 mm), offering a sensor area of approximately 225 mm². The NEX-5N ups the ante with a 16-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor (23.4 x 15.6 mm), delivering around 365 mm² of sensor surface.

This roughly 60% larger sensor area in the NEX-5N translates into several real-world advantages:

• Dynamic Range: Sony’s APS-C sensor achieves a slightly higher dynamic range (12.7 EV vs. Olympus’s 12.3 EV), preserving more detail in shadows and highlights - a boon in challenging lighting.
• Color Depth: The Sony NEX-5N registers superior color depth (23.6 vs. 22.8 bits on DxOMark scale), yielding nuanced skin tones and richer color rendering.
• Low-Light Sensitivity: The APS-C sensor’s low-light ISO performance is also notably better (ISO 1079 vs. 889 on DxOMark low-light score), allowing cleaner images at elevated sensitivities critical for night photography and indoor shooting.

While both cameras share a 16MP resolution, Sony’s sensor delivers larger photosites and enhanced signal-to-noise, reflected in cleaner images especially beyond ISO 3200.

Display and Viewfinder: Composing with Confidence

Having a reliable LCD or EVF influences how you frame and confirm shots, particularly in bright outdoor conditions or when shooting at awkward angles.

Both cameras sport tilting 3-inch displays, but notable differences emerge:

• The Olympus E-PL5 offers a 460k-dot touchscreen with tilt functionality, supporting selfie-friendly shooting and intuitive touch autofocus.
• The Sony NEX-5N sports a much higher-resolution 920k-dot TFT LCD, with a versatile upward tilt of 80° and downward tilt of 45°, though curiously lacks touchscreen functionality despite this tilt range.

For users prioritizing touch-based AF point selection and menus, Olympus holds the edge. Meanwhile, Sony’s sharper screen improves clarity, crucial for critical focus checks in detail-rich landscapes or macro.

Neither camera features a built-in electronic viewfinder, relying instead on optional accessories - which are an investment and a convenience limiter.

Autofocus: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus performance profoundly affects photographic outcomes, notably in portraiture, wildlife, and sports.

Both systems employ contrast-detection autofocus without phase detection, typical for their generation.

The Olympus E-PL5 boasts 35 AF points with face detection and eye detection capabilities, plus continuous, single, and tracking modes. Olympus’s implementation leverages their advanced image processor to maintain brisk 8 fps burst shooting with AF tracking.

Conversely, the Sony NEX-5N includes 25 AF points, also features face detection, but lacks eye detection and AF tracking. Continuous shooting ups to 10 fps, but tracking is less reliable in swiftly changing scenes.

In practice:

• Portraits: Olympus’s eye detection yields better critical focus on eyes, ensuring sharpness essential for compelling portraits.
• Wildlife and Sports: Olympus’s tracking at 8 fps holds steady with subject movement but slightly trails Sony’s faster burst rate and snappier AF acquisition in well-lit scenarios.
• Low Light AF: Both struggle equally in dim conditions due to the contrast detect system, with neither offering dedicated phase detection pixels.

I found Olympus more versatile for stationary or moderately active subjects, while Sony edges out with raw burst speed but compromises on tracking accuracy.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

A system is nothing without glass.

The Olympus E-PL5 uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, benefiting from an extensive ecosystem with over 100 native lenses - including primes, zooms, and macro options. Its 2x crop factor doubles focal lengths for telephoto reach but reduces shallow depth-of-field potential.

The Sony NEX-5N deploys an E-mount, which initially offered fewer options but has since grown substantially. Sony’s larger APS-C sensor also yields more natural background separation from lenses with similar focal lengths.

When considering macro or portrait work, Micro Four Thirds lenses tend to be smaller and more affordable, while Sony’s APS-C lenses offer better control over bokeh and compression, albeit often at higher cost.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither model boasts weather sealing or ruggedization, positioning both as indoor or fair-weather shooters. Construction feels solid in hand on both bodies, but prolonged use in adverse conditions is discouraged without protective housing.

Battery Life and Storage

The Sony NEX-5N delivers a notable advantage in battery endurance, rated for approximately 460 shots per charge versus Olympus E-PL5’s 360 shots. Long shooting days, especially travel or event photography, benefit from Sony’s improved longevity.

Both accept single SD/SDHC/SDXC cards; Sony amusingly adds Memory Stick Pro Duo compatibility - a quirk that adds versatility for legacy accessory users.

Connectivity and Video Capabilities

Each camera supports Eye-Fi wireless card connectivity, enabling direct JPEG transfer. Absent are today’s common Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS functions.

Video formats differ slightly:

• Olympus offers Full HD 1080p at 30 fps in MPEG-4, H.264, and Motion JPEG variants.
• Sony records 1080p pro-quality AVCHD video at up to 60 fps - giving smoother, more versatile footage, especially action scenes.

Neither camera includes microphone or headphone jacks, reflecting their consumer-orientated market focus.

Genre-Specific Performance and Practical Considerations

Here’s where these cameras’ capabilities come alive and diverge across photographic disciplines.

Olympus E PL5 front Olympus E PL5 screen back Sony NEX 5N front Sony NEX 5N screen back

Portrait Photography

Olympus shines via superior eye detection autofocus and more manageable handling with larger lenses, producing pleasing skin tone rendition with its balanced color depth. Its smaller sensor’s depth-of-field tends toward more extensive focus areas, demanding creative aperture use for effective background separation.

Sony’s larger sensor provides more natural bokeh and nuanced colors at higher ISOs, suiting portraits in varied light. However, autofocus tracking limitations can frustrate dynamic subject sessions.

Landscape Photography

Sony’s higher dynamic range and resolution (4912 x 3264 pixels vs. Olympus’s 4608 x 3456) produce technically sharper, more detail-rich images. However, Olympus’s tilt screen eases composition at low angles, a bonus in rugged terrain.

Neither camera offers weather sealing, so protection in inclement weather is a must.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Burst shooting speed favors Sony (10 fps) for capturing rapid sequences; yet autofocus tracking is more reliable on Olympus, especially with subjects against busy backgrounds. The Olympus sensor’s 2x crop factor extends reach using affordable telephoto lenses - a practical advantage.

Street Photography

Sony’s compactness and lighter body lend discreetness critical in candid street work. Coupled with faster continuous shooting, it excels for opportunistic capture. Olympus’s tactile controls and tilting touchscreen add creative flexibility but bulk marginally inhibits pocket carry.

Macro Photography

Micro Four Thirds systems historically feature competitive macro lenses; Olympus integrates sensor-shift stabilization, boosting precision when handholding close-focus shots.

Sony lacks in-body stabilization; macro shooting relies on optical or tripod stabilization. The NEX-5N’s superior resolution and sensor size enhance fine detail capture.

Night and Astrophotography

Sony’s superior low-light ISO performance and smooth noise reduction outperform Olympus in dark conditions. Its native ISO 100 baseline also benefits long exposures with less noise buildup.

Video

While both support Full HD, Sony’s 60p AVCHD video provides smoother motion rendering with relatively better compression efficiency. Olympus’s 30 fps limit and MPEG-4/H.264/Motion JPEG formats provide simpler workflow but less fluid video.

Neither system includes advanced video features like log profiles or mic inputs, so video enthusiasts should temper expectations.

Travel Photography

Here, compact size, battery life, and versatility converge. Sony’s smaller, lighter package and longer battery life offer an excellent all-around travel tool. Olympus’s superior handling and imaging stabilization help when shooting in diverse conditions but add modest size and weight.

Professional Workflows

The availability of RAW support on both cameras suits professional retouching pipelines. However, limited continuous AF sophistication, lack of weather sealing, and modest buffer depths restrict their appeal for demanding studio or event pros. Still, they function well as capable second bodies or learning platforms.

Overall Performance Ratings: Numbers Meet Nuance

Having benchmarked these cameras across labs and fieldwork, summarized ratings provide perspective:

• Sony NEX-5N: Scores 77 overall on DxOMark; excels in image quality and battery life.
• Olympus E-PL5: Scores 72, marked by strong autofocus and ergonomics but limited sensor performance.

Genre-Specific Performance Snapshot

These scores help match cameras to user needs:

• Portraits: Olympus leads on autofocus
• Landscapes & Low-Light: Sony dominates due to sensor size and ISO performance
• Action & Wildlife: Mixed; Sony wins burst speed; Olympus better AF tracking
• Macro: Olympus favored due to stabilization
• Video: Sony ahead with 60p capture

Final Recommendations: Picking Your Fighter

• If you prioritize image quality, low light performance, and pocketable travel versatility, the Sony NEX-5N offers a superior sensor, faster shooting, and longer battery life - ideal for enthusiasts moving beyond point-and-shoots seeking quality without excessive heft.

• For photographers craving intuitive handling, solid AF tracking, and access to a mature Micro Four Thirds lens lineup, especially for portraits, macro, or casual wildlife, the Olympus E-PL5 remains compelling.

Both cameras, despite their age, deliver solid foundational photography experiences but reveal the intrinsic trade-offs between sensor size and system design choices of their era.

My Testing Methodology: Trusting Hands and Measured Metrics

Our evaluations involved controlled lab tests using standardized charts for resolution, dynamic range, and noise behavior, supplemented by field sessions in urban, outdoor, and low-light environments - essential for appraising autofocus and ergonomic comfort.

Side-by-side comparisons with identical lenses (when possible) and matched exposure settings allowed isolating sensor and processing differences. Autofocus was stress-tested on moving subjects across varied lighting to simulate wildlife and sports demands.

Ultimately, Olympus E-PL5 and Sony NEX-5N epitomize important crossroads in mirrorless evolution: weighing compactness versus image quality, interface intuitiveness versus burst speed. We’ve unraveled their nuances so you can decide which speaks to your photographic voice and aspirations.

Happy shooting!