Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57
88 Imaging
52 Features
72 Overall
60


64 Imaging
57 Features
85 Overall
68
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
- Revealed September 2012
(Full Review)

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Overview
Below is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A57, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is very close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

The E-PL5 was brought out very close to the A57 so they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-PL5 scores vs the A57 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Sony A57
E-PL5 | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus E-PL5
A57 | E-PL5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper display (+461k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Sony A57
E-PL5 | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | September 2012 | ![]() | September 2012 | Same generation |
Manual focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical display measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Both good for selfies |
Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 has got 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) and the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).
See the Olympus E-PL5 versus Sony A57 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the A57.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and A57 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor measurements simply by researching a spec sheet. The visual here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and A57.
Clearly, the 2 cameras have got the exact same megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL5 provides the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallower DOF harder.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Sony A57 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony SLT-A57 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Sony SLT-A57 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2012-09-17 | 2012-09-13 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 15 |
Cross focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
Display diagonal | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 460k dots | 921k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display technology | - | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440k dots |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 8.0 frames per second | 12.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/250 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 325 gr (0.72 lbs) | 618 gr (1.36 lbs) |
Dimensions | 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 72 | 75 |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | 23.4 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | 13.0 |
DXO Low light score | 889 | 785 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 shots | 550 shots |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-5 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at launch | $400 | $1,000 |