Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony RX100 V

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony RX100 V, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the RX100 V (20MP) is very well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and RX100 V (1") posses different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was launched 5 years before the RX100 V and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 V being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-PL5 grades against the RX100 V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Sony RX100 V Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 has got outer measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Sony RX100 V has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") having a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony RX100 V in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-PL5 versus the RX100 V.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and RX100 V is 88 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by looking at technical specs. The photograph below will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and RX100 V.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Sony RX100 V will resolve more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.