Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a3500

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony a3500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and a3500 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was unveiled 18 months before the a3500 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the a3500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Sony Alpha a3500. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL5 provides exterior measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Sony a3500 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony a3500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 and the a3500.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and a3500 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to see the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through specs. The pic below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and a3500.

All in all, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony a3500 will give you more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.