Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230
85 Imaging
55 Features
78 Overall
64


69 Imaging
49 Features
40 Overall
45
Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 6400 (Expand to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
- Released February 2018
- Superseded the Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Overview
The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Sony A230, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

The E-PL9 was released 8 years after the A230 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL9 matches up vs the A230 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Sony A230
E-PL9 | A230 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | February 2018 | ![]() | May 2009 | Newer by 107 months |
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+810k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Olympus E-PL9
A230 | E-PL9 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony A230
E-PL9 | A230 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen |
Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison
For those who are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys outside measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-PL9 versus Sony A230 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-PL9 against the A230.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and A230 is 85 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions merely by seeing specifications. The image below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL9 and A230.
To sum up, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures way more aggressively. The more recent E-PL9 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A230 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL9 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL9 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Released | 2018-02-08 | 2009-05-18 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VIII | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 10 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3872 x 2592 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Maximum boosted ISO | 25600 | - |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW images | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 121 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 1,040 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Highest silent shutter speed | 1/16000 secs | - |
Continuous shooting speed | 8.6fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.60 m (at ISO 200) | 10.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | - |
Maximum video resolution | 3840x2160 | None |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | - |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 380g (0.84 pounds) | 490g (1.08 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") | 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 63 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.3 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.4 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 531 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 shots | 230 shots |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Launch price | $599 | $569 |