Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A560

Following is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony A560, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is very comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A560 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PM1 was introduced 16 months after the A560 making them a generation away from one another. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-PM1 scores against the A560 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony A560 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM1 provides outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Sony A560 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony A560 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PM1 and the A560.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and A560 is 89 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes just by seeing specs. The picture below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and A560.

All in all, both cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PM1 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A560 will produce extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent E-PM1 provides an edge in sensor innovation.