Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37
85 Imaging
55 Features
78 Overall
64


67 Imaging
57 Features
65 Overall
60
Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 6400 (Increase to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 380g - 117 x 68 x 39mm
- Announced February 2018
- Succeeded the Olympus E-PL8
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.6" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 506g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
- Introduced May 2012
- Earlier Model is Sony A35

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Overview
Below is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony A37, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the A37 (16MP) is very well matched but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and A37 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizes.

The E-PL9 was brought out 5 years later than the A37 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL9 scores versus the A37 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Sony SLT-A37. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Sony A37 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL9 over the Sony A37
E-PL9 | A37 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | February 2018 | ![]() | May 2012 | More recent by 70 months |
Display dimension | 3" | ![]() | 2.6" | Larger display (+0.4") |
Display resolution | 1040k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+810k dot) |
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A37 over the Olympus E-PL9
A37 | E-PL9 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony A37
E-PL9 | A37 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Tilting | Tilting display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Physical Comparison
For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL9 has exterior dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while the Sony A37 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-PL9 and Sony A37 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL9 vs the A37.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and A37 is 85 and 67 respectively.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by checking technical specs. The visual below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and A37.
As you have seen, both of those cameras have got the exact same MP but different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 uses the tinier sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow depth of field tougher. The more modern E-PL9 should have a benefit in sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A37 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL9 | Sony SLT-A37 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL9 | Sony SLT-A37 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2018-02-08 | 2012-05-16 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VIII | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Maximum boosted ISO | 25600 | - |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Lowest boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 121 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 107 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 2.6 inches |
Screen resolution | 1,040 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440 thousand dot |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Maximum silent shutter speed | 1/16000 secs | - |
Continuous shooting speed | 8.6fps | 6.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 7.60 m (at ISO 200) | 12.00 m |
Flash modes | Auto, manual, redeye reduction, slow sync w/redeye reduction, slow sync , slow sync 2nd-curtain, fill-in, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 380g (0.84 lbs) | 506g (1.12 lbs) |
Dimensions | 117 x 68 x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") | 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 75 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.3 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.9 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 799 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 pictures | 500 pictures |
Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I supported) | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Launch cost | $599 | $522 |