Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony W620: A Deep Dive into Two Different Worlds of Photography

Choosing the right camera is often less about chasing specs on paper and more about matching tool and vision - a harmony between your photographic goals and the gear you wield. Today, I’m breaking down two cameras that sit on opposite ends of the technological spectrum and photographic ambition: the Olympus PEN E-PL9, an entry-level mirrorless with Micro Four Thirds sensibilities, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W620, a straightforward, compact point-and-shoot from an earlier era. While this might feel like comparing apples and oranges, I’ve found that diving into these contrasts gives us practical insights about what matters most - real-world performance.

I’ve spent weeks testing both in a variety of scenarios, using standardized assessment methods I’ve refined over 15+ years of camera testing. We’ll talk about sensor tech, autofocus, image quality, ergonomics, shooting versatility, and more. Plus, I’ll share my take on which user profile each camera suits best.

Let’s get into it.

A Tale of Two Bodies: Size, Ergonomics, and Handling

The Olympus E-PL9 and Sony W620 couldn’t be more different in their physical design language. The E-PL9 is a retro-styled mirrorless camera with a pronounced presence, while the W620 is a slim, pocketable compact designed around convenience.

Take a look at this side-by-side size comparison:

At 117x68x39mm and 380g, the E-PL9 has a solid, hand-filling grip area and controls designed for a thoughtful photographic experience. The Sony, in contrast, is ultra-svelte at just 98x56x20mm and 116g - about one-third the weight and bulk, fitting easily in a jacket pocket or handbag.

This difference translates into how you shoot. The Olympus feels like a tool built for deliberate framing, manual control, and lens-swapping - it gives tactile feedback and a sense of heft that aids stability. The Sony feels like a casual companion for snapshots and quick grabs but can feel fiddly under motion or nuanced exposure demands.

Ergonomically, the Olympus has the advantage of dedicated dials and buttons with illuminated labels - no hunting through menus. The Sony has minimal external controls, designed for simplicity but sacrificing manual intervention options.

Looking at their top view design reinforces this:

I prefer the Olympus’s physical control layout for serious shooting, though the Sony W620’s simplicity appeals for point-and-shoot ease.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

This is where the gulf widens notably between these two cameras.

The Olympus E-PL9 sports a 16MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor measuring 17.3x13mm, backed by the TruePic VIII image processor. The Sony W620 has a significantly smaller 1/2.3” CCD sensor at 6.17x4.55mm, capturing 14MP in a fixed lens system.

Sensor size directly correlates with image quality potential - noise control, dynamic range, and depth rendition.

Here’s a visual representation to frame that difference:

The Olympus sensor is nearly eight times the sensor area of the Sony’s - and that translates to better photon capture, higher signal-to-noise ratios, and greater ISO performance. Indeed, the E-PL9’s ISO native range starts at 200, extends to 6400, and boosts to 25600, whereas the Sony only covers 100 to 3200 native ISO.

In my side-by-side image comparisons from a controlled studio shoot and outdoor test sequences, the Olympus produces far cleaner images at higher ISO settings with richer color depth and noticeably better dynamic range. Highlights and shadow details are preserved more gracefully.

Sample images shot with both cameras side by side here demonstrate these points:

Olympus E PL9 front Olympus E PL9 screen back Sony W620 front Sony W620 screen back

The Olympus exhibits natural, skin-tone accurate portraits and lush, detailed landscapes. The Sony images feel softer, noisier, and less true to life, especially under challenging lighting.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Precision, and Reliability

For most photographers, autofocus performance makes or breaks a camera's everyday usefulness, especially in dynamic shooting.

The Olympus E-PL9 boasts a contrast-detection autofocus system with 121 focus points and face detection. It supports continuous, single, tracking, selective, and center-area AF modes - fairly robust for an entry-level mirrorless without phase detection.

The Sony W620, being an older compact, uses a more basic contrast-detection AF with limited focus area choices and no continuous or touch focus. It only offers single AF and basic face detection.

With fast-moving subjects, I found the Olympus's AF notably quicker and more reliable. Continuous AF tracking did a decent job holding onto subjects in portrait and casual street photography settings. The Sony, meanwhile, struggled with focus hunting when lighting was low or subjects moved briskly.

Not having animal eye AF or professional-level phase detection autofocus mechanisms rules out either camera for serious wildlife or sports shooters, but Olympus’s system allows for more versatility and confidence.

Screens and Viewfinding: Composition and Usability

Neither camera sports an electronic viewfinder; both rely on rear LCDs.

The Olympus offers a 3-inch tilting touchscreen at 1040k dots, highly responsive and facilitating intuitive exposure adjustments and selection of AF points directly on-screen.

The Sony sticks to a fixed 2.7-inch Clear Photo TFT LCD with 230k dots - functional but duller in resolution and viewing angles.

Here’s a look at their rear displays compared:

In daylight or tricky lighting, I found the Olympus screen far easier to use for framing and review due to its brightness and touch control. The Sony’s screen was underwhelming - adequate for snapshots but not for critical composition or detail checking.

Lens Ecosystem and Optics

Here’s where the Olympus shines in a way the Sony compact can’t match: interchangeable lenses.

The Olympus PEN E-PL9 uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, which has over 100 native lenses available covering everything from fast primes for portraits to ultra-wide for landscapes, telephotos for wildlife, and macro optics for close-ups. This massive, diverse lens ecosystem immediately elevates the camera’s capability across disciplines.

The Sony DSC-W620 is fixed lens: a 28 – 140mm (35mm equivalent) zoom with a fairly restricted aperture range of f/3.2 – 6.5. It’s fine for general snapshots but limited for creative control over depth of field or optimal sharpness at wider apertures.

If you’re into macro work, you have to look elsewhere with the Sony compact, as its closest focusing distance is 5cm, but lack of manual focus makes precise focus tricky.

Shooting Performance: Burst, Shutter, and Stabilization

The Olympus offers a max shutter speed up to 1/4000s mechanical and 1/16000s electronic silent shutter. The Sony runs max mechanical at 1/1600s, which can be limiting in bright conditions for wider apertures.

Continuous shooting is 8.6 fps on the Olympus – solid performance for capturing moderate action bursts without lag. Sony’s 1 fps burst rate feels static, better suited to pause-and-shoot scenarios.

Sensor-based image stabilization in the Olympus (5-axis) significantly improves handheld low-light shooting and video capture stability. The Sony lacks stabilization entirely, which hampers crispness in dim environments or longer zoom shots.

Video Capabilities: Beyond Snapshots

Video has become an essential feature for most camera buyers.

Olympus E-PL9 records clean 4K UHD at 30p (MOV, H.264, 102 Mbps) with linear PCM audio. While it lacks a microphone or headphone port, it does have in-body stabilization assisting video smoothness.

Sony W620 maxes out at 720p HD at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format. A legacy spec now, resulting video is less detailed and has larger file sizes. No stabilization or external mic support limits usefulness for more serious videography.

Connectivity, Battery Life, and Storage

Connectivity-wise, Olympus provides built-in WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 for instant transfer and remote control via smartphone apps. The Sony W620 offers Eye-Fi card compatibility - a fairly dated wireless standard - but no onboard WiFi or Bluetooth.

Battery life favors the Olympus with approx. 350 shots per charge compared to Sony’s 220 shots. Both rely on removable rechargeable battery packs.

Storage options are similar, both supporting SD cards, but the Sony also reads Memory Stick formats - an older Sony proprietary standard.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera offers weather sealing, shock, or freeze proofing, but their build qualities feel different. The Olympus’s magnesium alloy and well-engineered body exude robustness. The Sony is plasticky by comparison, feeling more disposable - unsurprising given its budget compact design.

For outdoor enthusiasts, that difference is critical.

Real-World Use Cases and Genre Suitability

Let me now walk you through how these cameras fare across popular photography styles.

Portrait Photography

Olympus’s larger sensor and interchangeable lenses allow for beautiful subject isolation and bokeh control using fast primes, combined with face detection AF for pin-sharp eyes. Skin tones render naturally with good color depth.

Sony’s small sensor yields flatter images with less dynamic range, and fixed moderate-aperture zoom limits bokeh potential. Autofocus is basic but adequate for casual portraits.

Landscape Photography

Here, the Olympus again pulls ahead with higher resolution, wider dynamic range, and better weather resistance potential. The ability to pair with ultra-wide and high-quality primes brings detail and color fidelity ideal for landscapes.

Sony’s fixed lens and small sensor produce noisier images with limited tonal gradation in shadows and highlights, though daylight shots can pass muster for social sharing.

Wildlife and Sports

Neither camera targets pro wildlife or sports. The Olympus’s faster continuous shooting (8.6 fps) and tracking AF make it modestly usable for slower-paced wildlife or casual sports.

Sony’s slow 1 fps burst and basic AF mean it struggles with motion and quick action capture.

Street Photography

For quick, unobtrusive shooting, Sony’s tiny size and light weight are wonderful. Olympus is bulkier but still relatively compact for a mirrorless.

Low-light performance heavily favors Olympus, enabling shooting after sunset without pushing ISO beyond clean limits.

Macro Photography

Olympus’s lens variety and manual focus ability make serious macro work attainable. The Sony’s 5cm close-focus can capture casual close-ups but lacks detail and focusing precision.

Night and Astro Photography

The Olympus’s larger sensor and high ISO capacity critically outperform Sony for night and astro shots, with increased noise control and dynamic range. Plus, manual exposure modes enable long exposures necessary for starscapes.

Video Shooters

Olympus provides 4K video with in-body stabilization - a real plus for casual videographers.

Sony’s 720p HD video is lackluster, with no stabilization and dated codec. Probably fine for quick family videos in good light.

Travel Photography

Sony’s compactness, lightness, and pocketability make it a prime travel companion for casual snapshots.

Olympus balances size with performance, suitable if you want more creative control and don’t mind carrying a small camera system.

Professional Use

Olympus raw support and file flexibility align better with professional workflows than Sony’s JPEG-only output.

Image Review Scores and Genre-Based Ratings

I rate cameras across key photographic criteria based on my extensive testing. Here’s a consolidated performance overview:

And broken down by photography genre:

Olympus wins across nearly all categories except for portability and ease-of-use where Sony’s compact form factors shine.

Value for Money: Which One Makes Sense?

Considering current pricing - Olympus PEN E-PL9 around $600 and Sony W620 about $100 - you get what you pay for.

If your priority is absolute portability for casual snapshots, and budget is tight, the Sony W620 is a modest, no-fuss choice.

If you want room to grow, better image quality, and video, plus the ability to expand with lenses and accessories, the Olympus E-PL9 is the much smarter investment.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Having lived with both cameras through a variety of complex test scenarios, my verdict is straightforward:

• Pick the Olympus E-PL9 if:

  • You want a versatile entry-level mirrorless system with strong image quality.
  • You shoot portraits, landscapes, video, and demand more manual control.
  • You appreciate lens flexibility and improved autofocus for creative work.
  • You have a mid-range budget and want a camera that can keep pace with your growing skills.

• Pick the Sony W620 if:

  • You need an ultra-compact, pocketable camera for casual, point-and-shoot photography.
  • Budget constraints are tight, and you prioritize convenience over image refinement.
  • You don’t shoot in challenging lighting or need advanced features.
  • Quick travel snapshots or family photos are your main use cases.

In the grand scheme, the Olympus E-PL9 represents a significant step up in photographic capability, especially if you value image quality, creative freedom, and future-proofing your system. The Sony W620 is charmingly simple but firmly targeted at casual users who desire an easy camera to carry everywhere without fuss.

Hope this comparison helps you zero in on what matters most for your photography journey!

If you want an in-depth walkthrough of handling and image samples for the Olympus PEN E-PL9 setup, check out my full video review linked above. Meanwhile, the Sony compact’s limitations are evident but understandable given its age and category.

Choose wisely and happy shooting!

End of Review