Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony RX10 II

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony RX10 II, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the RX10 II (20MP) is fairly close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and RX10 II (1") feature totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was announced 3 years earlier than the RX10 II which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX10 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL5 scores versus the RX10 II for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony RX10 II Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 offers outside 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) while the Sony RX10 II has proportions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") having a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony RX10 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 and the RX10 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and RX10 II is 88 and 58 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to envision the gap in sensor dimensions merely by researching specifications. The pic underneath will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and RX10 II.

Plainly, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony RX10 II will provide you with more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.