Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A390

Let's look much closer at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A390, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the A390 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL6 was announced 4 years after the A390 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PL6 grades vs the A390 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL6 offers physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony A390 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A390 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL6 vs the A390.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and A390 is 88 and 66 respectively.

Often, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes only by viewing specifications. The picture below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and A390.

Plainly, both cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL6 having a smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Olympus E-PL6 will render extra detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL6 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.