Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony a5100

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.