Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A55

Here is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A55, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the A55 (16MP) is very close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A55 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was launched 2 years later than the A55 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the A55 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Sony SLT-A55. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL5 has outside dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A55 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL5 and the A55.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and A55 is 88 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing specifications. The graphic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and A55.

To sum up, both of the cameras offer the same exact megapixels but different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 has got the smaller sensor which will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier. The newer E-PL5 provides a benefit in sensor tech.