Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A850 (Full frame) have different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was brought out 20 months later than the A850 which makes them a generation apart from each other. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-PM1 scores vs the A850 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 has got external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Sony A850 has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PM1 and the A850.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and A850 is 89 and 54 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to picture the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading through specs. The photograph here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and A850.

All in all, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony A850 will give greater detail having its extra 13 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The newer E-PM1 should have an edge in sensor innovation.