Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A290

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-PL7 versus Sony A290, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty close but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL7 was released 4 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL7 scores against the A290 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 has external measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") and a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Sony A290 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL7 versus Sony A290 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL7 versus the A290.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and A290 is 86 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The graphic below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and A290.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL7 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus E-PL7 will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PL7 provides a benefit in sensor technology.