Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony WX500

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony WX500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the WX500 (18MP) is pretty close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was brought out 3 years earlier than the WX500 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-PL5 matches up vs the WX500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony WX500 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 provides exterior dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Sony WX500 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony WX500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL5 and the WX500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and WX500 is 88 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and WX500.

Clearly, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony WX500 will result in extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older E-PL5 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.