Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A500

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A500, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is very close but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A500 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM1 was released 2 years later than the A500 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PM1 grades versus the A500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 offers physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PM1 vs the A500.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and A500 is 89 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing just by viewing a spec sheet. The visual below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and A500.

As you can see, the two cameras provide the same megapixels but different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 has the smaller sensor which is going to make getting bokeh tougher. The younger E-PM1 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.