Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony WX5

The following is a extended review of the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony WX5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and WX5 (12MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and WX5 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was introduced 4 years after the WX5 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-PL7 matches up vs the WX5 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Sony WX5 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 comes with outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Sony WX5 has sizing of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") having a weight of 146 grams (0.32 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony WX5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL7 compared to the WX5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and WX5 is 86 and 95 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to see the contrast in sensor dimensions only by seeing specs. The picture underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL7 and WX5.

All in all, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL7 with its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PL7 will provide greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The younger E-PL7 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.