Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony WX500

Here is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Sony WX500, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the WX500 (18MP) is relatively similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and WX500 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL9 was revealed 2 years later than the WX500 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX500 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-PL9 scores against the WX500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Sony WX500 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 has got outer measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Sony WX500 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL9 versus Sony WX500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 vs the WX500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and WX500 is 85 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reviewing specs. The graphic here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL9 and WX500.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL9 using its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony WX500 will offer more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-PL9 is going to have a benefit in sensor technology.