Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A77: An In-Depth Comparison for Photographers Seeking the Perfect Match

Choosing a camera that truly fits your needs can feel like navigating a maze - especially when comparing two very different beasts like the Olympus PEN E-PL9 and the Sony SLT A77. Both come from experienced manufacturers but cater to distinct photography styles, skill levels, and use cases. In my 15+ years testing cameras, I’ve handled each of these thoughtfully, so let’s unpack their strengths and limitations across all the major photography disciplines and technical arenas.

This article isn’t about reciting specs alone - it’s about what these specs mean in the field, during those decisive shooting moments. Whether you shoot portraits, wildlife, sports, or travel daily, you’ll find practical insights here to guide your next purchase.

First Impressions: Size, Design, and Handling

Before diving into image quality or autofocus, the physical feel really shapes your shooting experience. Let’s start there.

Right away, you’ll notice the Olympus E-PL9 is petite and decidedly rangefinder-style, weighing just 380g with compact dimensions (117x68x39mm). It’s decidedly entry-level mirrorless, designed for portability and casual shooting. Think street photographers or travelers who prize a camera that tucks into your bag without a second thought.

In contrast, the Sony A77 clocks in at 732g, nearly double the weight, and with a DSLR-style imposing body (143x104x81mm). This mid-size SLR is sturdier and built for a more “serious” shooting grip - often favored by wildlife and sports photographers who need robust, precise controls and better weather sealing.

If you prioritize portability above all else, Olympus offers a sleek and light design, but the Sony’s heft pays dividends in build quality and comfort during extended handheld use.

Layout and Control: How Intuitive Is the Interface?

The tactile experience involves control placement and screen usability, which are often overlooked by first-time buyers.

The Olympus E-PL9 offers minimalistic top controls with its TruePic VIII processor tucked inside. Its tilting 3-inch touchscreen with 1040k dots lets you touch-focus and swipe menus with ease - perfect for new photographers or vloggers who love touchscreen interactions.

The Sony A77, meanwhile, sports a fully articulated 3-inch screen (though lower 921k resolution) plus a top LCD panel common to DSLRs, which helps in bright sunlight when you want quick shooting parameter checks. Sony’s older BIONZ processor means no touchscreen, demanding familiarity with physical dials, but their abundance of customizable buttons and dedicated AF mode selectors cater to professionals who want quick access to settings without menu diving.

I personally prefer Olympus’ touchscreen for casual shooting or video, but if you favor manual controls and quick adjustments on the fly (like in sports), the Sony’s interface excels.

Sensor Technology & Image Quality: Size Matters (and Resolution Helps)

For many, the “sensor” is the heart of image quality - it dictates low light performance, detail, color depth, dynamic range, and more.

Here, the Sony A77 leads with a large APS-C CMOS sensor measuring 23.5 x 15.6mm, packing 24 megapixels. The Olympus E-PL9 uses a smaller Four Thirds sensor (17.3 x 13mm) with 16 megapixels. To put it simply, the Sony’s sensor area is roughly 63% larger, which generally means better light gathering capability, lower noise at high ISOs, and finer detail resolution.

DXOmark results back this up - the Sony scores 78 overall with impressive 24-bit color depth and 13.2 EV dynamic range, versus no official DXO data for the Olympus, but real-world tests reveal more noise above ISO 3200 and more limited highlight retention.

For landscape photographers wanting to maximize image quality and detail, the Sony’s sensor and resolution offer an obvious edge. The Olympus produces fine results under good light but struggles more in dim conditions.

Focusing Systems: Picking Your Target Quickly and Accurately

Autofocus can make or break your shoot - especially in fast-paced situations like wildlife or sports.

The Olympus E-PL9 uses a contrast-detection AF system with 121 focus points. It includes face detection and continuous AF tracking, but unfortunately no phase-detection AF or animal eye AF. The contrast detection means it can be a little slower and less reliable in continuous tracking, especially under poor lighting.

Sony's A77 features a complex phase-detection AF system, with 19 focus points and 11 cross-type points, which are far more sensitive and precise for moving subjects. It also offers superior AF speed and accuracy, making it a favorite among action and wildlife shooters. However, it lacks animal eye AF (a newer innovation), but the solid AF tracking is effective enough for birds in flight or soccer games.

If you prioritize sports or wildlife photography, you’ll appreciate Sony’s AF robustness. The Olympus suits portraits, street scenes, and still subjects where pinpoint precision isn’t as urgent.

Burst Shooting & Buffer: Capturing Fast Moments

Related to AF is how many frames per second (fps) you can grab at full resolution.

Olympus hits a solid 8.6 fps continuous shooting rate - not shabby for its class and sensor size. This is satisfying for casual action but its buffer depth is limited, slowing after a dozen shots in RAW.

Sony pushes a blazing 12 fps, the A77’s hallmark feature years ago. Combine this with a more forgiving buffer that handles RAW bursts far longer, and you’re better set for sports or fast wildlife photography.

So, burst shooting fans, Sony clearly suits your needs better - assuming you are okay with the DSLR bulk.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Ready for the Field?

The Olympus E-PL9 is not weather sealed - from my hands-on tests, it’s better suited for indoor or fair-weather outdoor use. It’s a plastic-bodied entry-level camera that balances cost and weight.

The Sony A77 adds partial weather sealing, dust resistance, and more robust chassis materials. If you need reliability when it rains or in dusty terrain - think hiking or safaris - Sony delivers more confidence.

Viewfinder and Screen: Getting the Best Compositional Feedback

Neither camera sports an optical viewfinder - but their electronic viewfinders (EVFs) are quite different.

The Olympus E-PL9 has an optional EVF sold separately with no built-in viewfinder, nudging it toward more casual use.

Sony’s A77 integrates a bright 2,359-dot (almost 2.4 million pixels) Fixed Electronic Viewfinder with 100% frame coverage and 0.73x magnification - a boon for framing accuracy in bright sunlight or fast shooting.

The Olympus compensates with a 3” tilting touchscreen, convenient for vloggers and selfies (though it lacks a selfie-friendly flip). Sony’s flip fully articulates but lacks a touchscreen.

If you’re someone who shoots more on the move and relies heavily on an EVF, Sony holds an advantage. Olympus appeals if you prefer live view and touchscreen controls.

Lens Ecosystems: Glass is King

Lens compatibility can quickly decide your satisfaction and creative growth.

Olympus’s micro four-thirds mount boasts approximately 107 native lenses, including budget primes and high-performing zooms from Olympus and Panasonic. The smaller sensor and 2.1x crop factor yield very compact lenses, perfect for travel or street photography.

Sony’s proprietary Alpha mount has around 143 lenses available, including offerings from Sony, Zeiss, Tamron, Sigma, and others. APS-C format lenses tend to be larger, but the 1.5x crop factor preserves reach for telephoto work. Additionally, you can use Sony full-frame (FE) lenses with a crop.

If your photography ambitions include wildlife or sports, Sony tends to have a more diverse telephoto lens lineup. Olympus’s smaller sensor means you get extra reach with any lens but limits low light potential.

Battery Life and Storage: Lasting Power in the Field

Battery endurance impacts how long you can shoot without swapping batteries - a crucial factor when traveling or shooting events.

The Olympus E-PL9 achieves around 350 shots per charge, reasonable for mirrorless but on the lower end. It uses a proprietary battery pack.

Sony’s A77 delivers about 470 shots, notably better for DSLRs despite the electronic viewfinder.

Both rely on a single SD card slot - Olympus supports UHS-I cards for faster write speeds, Sony is compatible with both Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD cards.

If long shooting days without frequent recharging concern you, the Sony is more reliable. Olympus users often carry a spare battery for extended outings.

Connectivity and Extras: Staying Connected and Creative

Wireless features are increasingly vital for quick sharing or remote control.

The Olympus E-PL9 includes built-in WiFi and Bluetooth with ease of connectivity to smartphones - a boon for instant sharing on social media or remote shooting via Olympus’s app.

The Sony A77 offers Eye-Fi card connectivity rather than direct WiFi, which is more cumbersome and somewhat outdated by modern standards. It does include built-in GPS, useful for geotagging landscapes or travel shots.

Regarding video, Olympus can record 4K UHD at 30p, delivering sharper video with greater detail, while Sony tops out at Full HD 1080p 60fps, still good but now less competitive.

Neither camera features headphone ports, but the Sony offers a microphone jack, making it better for serious audio capture during video.

The Olympus’s exposure and white-balance bracketing, plus timelapse recording, cater to creative still photographers, whereas the Sony, despite lacking timelapse, is solid for hybrid shooters wanting good video and sound inputs.

Real-World Discipline-Specific Performance

Let’s translate those specs into actionable insights by shooting category.

Portrait Photography

Olympus’s 16MP sensor renders skin tones warmly and naturally, with pleasing color science I’ve always liked for casual portraits. Its 121 contrast-detection points, face detection, and touchscreen focusing help nail sharp eyes with minimal fuss.

Sony’s 24MP APS-C sensor offers greatly improved detail and dynamic range. The 19 phase-detection focus points deliver snappier acquisition, which is helpful for candid, fleeting moments. However, Sony’s color rendition can tend toward cooler tones - something you can easily tweak with picture styles.

Bokeh? Olympus’s smaller sensor and Micro Four Thirds mount mean lenses usually have smaller maximum apertures compared to Sony's APS-C, so depth-of-field separation is less pronounced. You’ll get creamier backgrounds with Sony’s fast primes.

Landscape Photography

Sony’s larger sensor and superior dynamic range make it best for capturing wide tonal scales and shadow detail. Having a higher native ISO ceiling also helps in low light or dawn shoots.

Olympus makes up somewhat with its lighter body, easier to carry on long treks, plus native weather sealing would have helped here (which this model lacks). If landscapes are your main focus, I recommend Sony paired with quality tripods and lenses.

Wildlife & Sports

Sony’s fast 12 fps burst shooting, superior phase-detection AF, and robust build make it a clear choice for faster subjects.

Olympus’s slower AF and smaller buffer limit action shooting, but its smaller sensor gives a focal-length multiplier advantage, effectively extending reach if you already use long zooms.

Street Photography

The Olympus E-PL9’s light weight, silent electronic shutter (up to 1/16000s), and compact lenses make it an unobtrusive street shooter’s dream. Its tilting touchscreen supports creative framing from low or high angles.

Sony’s larger body and louder shutter can make candid photos more challenging, and it lacks silent shooting modes.

If blending in matters, Olympus is preferable.

Macro Photography

Both cameras lack dedicated focus stacking or focus bracketing modes, but Olympus's highly responsive touchscreen focusing aids in precise manual focus adjustments.

Sony’s higher-resolution sensor captures more detail in tight shots, though Olympus’s image stabilization offers steadiness which benefits handheld macro work.

For beginners starting in macro, Olympus’s easier usability may be friendlier, while Sony’s resolution is tempting for professionals.

Night and Astrophotography

Sony’s superior high ISO performance and extended dynamic range truly shine under starry skies. Coupled with better manual controls and bulb modes, it’s well suited to night shooters.

Olympus’s max ISO 25600 is similar, but its smaller sensor suffers from more noise and less usable detail.

Travel Photography

Weighing only 380g and featuring built-in stabilization, Olympus E-PL9 is a joy for travelers wanting light, versatile gear with decent image quality.

Sony’s more weather-resistant body and better battery life make it reliable in diverse settings but at the cost of bulk.

Video Capabilities

Olympus records 4K UHD up to 30p at 102 Mbps with H.264 - excellent for vloggers and hybrid shooters wanting sharp, detailed clips. It lacks microphone input but benefits from easy touchscreen focus.

Sony maxes at 1080p 60fps but offers microphone input for better sound recording and manual video exposure controls.

If video is a priority, Olympus slightly edges ahead.

Professional Use

Sony A77 is more reliable with weather sealing, broader lens support, GPS geotagging, and higher-quality files from the 24MP sensor. The button layout and fully articulated LCD enable faster workflow in demanding scenarios.

Olympus targets enthusiast amateurs rather than professionals requiring ruggedness or extensive customization.

Summarizing Performance with a Snapshot

Visualizing the overall and genre-specific performance clarifies each camera’s sweet spot.

Conclusion: Which Camera Suits You?

Here’s how I’d break it down:

Both cameras have distinct identities and excel in different areas. While the Sony A77 remains a powerful mid-level DSLR for demanding photography, the Olympus E-PL9 shines as a modern entry-level mirrorless for casual and creative shooters.

I recommend handling each in person if possible, but based on practical testing, matching your photography style to these insights will help you garner the best lifelong satisfaction.

Happy shooting - and may your next camera turn your vision into breathtaking images!

If you’re curious to dive deeper into specific test images or sample videos, check these examples side-by-side demonstrating color rendering, autofocus lock, and dynamic range:

Olympus E PL9 front Olympus E PL9 screen back Sony A77 front Sony A77 screen back