Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A57

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A57, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is relatively well matched but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL6 was unveiled 23 months later than the A57 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL6 scores versus the A57 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL6 comes with outside 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) whilst the Sony A57 has specifications of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL6 vs Sony A57 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL6 vs the A57.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and A57 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Normally, its hard to envision the difference between sensor sizing simply by looking at specifications. The visual below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and A57.

Plainly, both of the cameras have the same megapixel count albeit not the same sensor sizing. The E-PL6 includes the tinier sensor which should make getting bokeh more challenging. The fresher E-PL6 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.