Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony RX100 VA

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL6 versus Sony RX100 VA, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the RX100 VA (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and RX100 VA (1") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL6 was announced 5 years earlier than the RX100 VA and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-PL6 grades versus the RX100 VA with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL6 has got outer measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Sony RX100 VA has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") having a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL6 versus Sony RX100 VA in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL6 versus the RX100 VA.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL6 and RX100 VA is 88 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements just by going over a spec sheet. The photograph underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and RX100 VA.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL6 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony RX100 VA will deliver greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The older E-PL6 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.