Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A57
86 Imaging
52 Features
81 Overall
63
64 Imaging
56 Features
85 Overall
67
Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A57 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
- Revealed September 2014
- Replaced the Olympus E-PL6
- Replacement is Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)
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In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL7 versus Sony A57, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and A57 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe E-PL7 was launched 24 months later than the A57 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PL7 scores vs the A57 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Sony SLT-A57. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL7 over the Sony A57
| E-PL7 | A57 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2014 | September 2012 | More recent by 24 months | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 921k | Sharper screen (+116k dot) | |
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus E-PL7
| A57 | E-PL7 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting | Fully Articulating screen |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL7 and Sony A57
| E-PL7 | A57 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial accurate focusing | |||
| Screen sizing | 3" | 3" | Equivalent screen measurement | |
| Selfie screen | Both good for selfies |
Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to lug around your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL7 provides outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 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).
Examine the Olympus E-PL7 versus Sony A57 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the E-PL7 versus the A57.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and A57 is 86 and 64 respectively.
Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements just by going through specs. The visual here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL7 and A57.
All in all, both the cameras enjoy the same exact resolution albeit not the same sensor measurements. The E-PL7 features the smaller sensor which is going to make obtaining shallower DOF more difficult. The newer E-PL7 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.
Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL7 vs Sony A57 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL7 | Sony SLT-A57 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus PEN E-PL7 | Sony SLT-A57 |
| Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Revealed | 2014-09-01 | 2012-09-13 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VII | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 16000 |
| Maximum boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 81 | 15 |
| Cross focus points | - | 3 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
| Display size | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 1,037 thousand dots | 921 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Display technology | - | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440 thousand dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.7x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
| Continuous shooting rate | 8.0 frames per second | 12.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | no built-in flash | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
| Flash settings | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 357g (0.79 lb) | 618g (1.36 lb) |
| Dimensions | 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") | 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 72 | 75 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.7 | 23.4 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 12.4 | 13.0 |
| DXO Low light score | 873 | 785 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 350 images | 550 images |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | BLS-50 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Pricing at launch | $499 | $1,000 |