Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550
89 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
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63 Imaging
53 Features
65 Overall
57
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Announced November 2011
- Replacement is Olympus E-PM2
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Introduced December 2009
- Old Model is Sony A100
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Overview
Following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony A550, one is 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 A550 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe E-PM1 was released 24 months after the A550 making the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-PM1 grades versus the A550 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Sony A550
E-PM1 | A550 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | November 2011 | December 2009 | More modern by 24 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Olympus E-PM1
A550 | E-PM1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting display | |
Display resolution | 922k | 460k | Crisper display (+462k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony A550
E-PM1 | A550 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | Dial precise focusing | |||
Display dimension | 3" | 3" | Identical display size | |
Selfie screen | Absent selfie screen | |||
Touch display | Absent Touch display |
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 provides exterior measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony A550 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is the front view scale comparison of the E-PM1 and the A550.
Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and A550 is 89 and 63 respectively.
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it can be difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes only by reading through technical specs. The picture here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and A550.
As you can tell, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PM1 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A550 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos much more aggressively. The more modern E-PM1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A550 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2011-11-23 | 2009-12-09 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VI | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 12800 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection focusing | ||
Contract detection focusing | ||
Phase detection focusing | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
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 | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 460k dot | 922k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 6.0 frames per second | 7.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/160 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | - |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
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 | 265 grams (0.58 lbs) | 632 grams (1.39 lbs) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 52 | 66 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.0 | 21.9 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | 11.8 |
DXO Low light rating | 499 | 807 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 photographs | 480 photographs |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLS-5 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch pricing | $499 | $749 |