Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000
88 Imaging
52 Features
72 Overall
60


89 Imaging
62 Features
62 Overall
62
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
- Announced September 2012
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 269g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
- Launched January 2014
- Replaced the Sony NEX-3N
- Later Model is Sony a5100

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Overview
Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the a5000 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and a5000 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

The E-PL5 was manufactured 15 months earlier than the a5000 which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras have the same body design (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-PL5 matches up against the a5000 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Sony Alpha a5000. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Sony a5000 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Sony a5000
E-PL5 | a5000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony a5000 over the Olympus E-PL5
a5000 | E-PL5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2014 | ![]() | September 2012 | Newer by 15 months |
Screen resolution | 461k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+1k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony a5000
E-PL5 | a5000 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial exact focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen measurement |
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is going to travel with your camera, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 provides outer measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Sony a5000 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL5 vs the a5000.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and a5000 is 88 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be difficult to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing specs. The image below will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and a5000.
As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony a5000 will offer extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony a5000 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony Alpha a5000 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony Alpha a5000 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2012-09-17 | 2014-01-07 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.2 x 15.4mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 357.3mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 20MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5456 x 3632 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 121 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 460 thousand dots | 461 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen technology | - | TFT LCD with 180 upward tilt |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 8.0 frames/s | 4.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 4.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60i/24p), 1440 x 1080 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (25 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 325 grams (0.72 lb) | 269 grams (0.59 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 72 | 79 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | 13.0 |
DXO Low light rating | 889 | 1089 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 shots | 420 shots |
Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) |
Time lapse shooting | With downloadable app | |
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Card slots | One | One |
Price at launch | $400 | $448 |