Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A850

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL7 versus Sony A850, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and A850 (Full frame) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL7 was unveiled 4 years later than the A850 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-PL7 grades vs the A850 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 provides external measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Sony A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL7 versus Sony A850 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Here is a front view size comparison of the E-PL7 against the A850.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and A850 is 86 and 54 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by looking at technical specs. The graphic underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and A850.

As you have seen, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL7 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A850 will give extra detail having an extra 9MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The newer E-PL7 provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.