Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100
85 Imaging
55 Features
78 Overall
64


89 Imaging
65 Features
74 Overall
68
Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 6400 (Push to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
- Revealed February 2018
- Superseded the Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 283g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
- Announced August 2014
- Replaced the Sony a5000

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Overview
Lets look much closer at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100, both Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and a5100 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

The E-PL9 was manufactured 3 years later than the a5100 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).
Before getting straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the a5100 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Sony a5100
E-PL9 | a5100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | February 2018 | ![]() | August 2014 | More recent by 43 months |
Screen resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 922k | Clearer screen (+118k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony a5100 over the Olympus E-PL9
a5100 | E-PL9 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony a5100
E-PL9 | a5100 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More accurate focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 offers exterior measurements 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 a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the a5100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and a5100 is 85 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Sensor Comparison
Often, its hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through specifications. The graphic here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and a5100.
To sum up, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony a5100 will result in extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL9 | Sony Alpha a5100 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL9 | Sony Alpha a5100 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Revealed | 2018-02-08 | 2014-08-17 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic VIII | Bionz X |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 6000 x 4000 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Maximum boosted ISO | 25600 | - |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Number of focus points | 121 | 179 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
Available lenses | 107 | 121 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of screen | 1,040k dots | 922k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
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 rate | 8.6fps | 6.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 7.60 m (at ISO 200) | 4.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off | Flash off, auto, fill-flaw, slow sync, redeye reduction |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (120p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p) |
Maximum video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
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 | 380 gr (0.84 lbs) | 283 gr (0.62 lbs) |
Dimensions | 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") | 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | 80 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.7 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 1347 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 shots | 400 shots |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous (3-5 shot)) |
Time lapse recording | With downloadable app | |
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Launch pricing | $599 | $448 |