Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a3500

Here is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony a3500, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is very close but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and a3500 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL9 was manufactured 3 years later than the a3500 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the a3500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Sony Alpha a3500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 has got outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony a3500 has sizing of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony a3500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL9 versus the a3500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and a3500 is 85 and 69 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by looking through specs. The graphic below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and a3500.

All in all, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony a3500 will result in greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images way more aggressively. The younger E-PL9 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.