Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A350

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PM1 versus Sony A350, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the A350 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A350 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM1 was manufactured 3 years after the A350 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-PM1 matches up against the A350 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Sony A350 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM1 comes with outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony A350 has measurements of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 versus Sony A350 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PM1 vs the A350.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and A350 is 89 and 62 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizes only by seeing specs. The pic here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and A350.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PM1 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A350 will provide more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The newer E-PM1 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.