Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850
89 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49
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54 Imaging
67 Features
60 Overall
64
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
- Revealed November 2011
- Updated by Olympus E-PM2
(Full Review)
- 25MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 3200 (Expand to 6400)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
- Introduced April 2010
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Overview
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.
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Gallery
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.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Sony A850
E-PM1 | A850 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | November 2011 | ![]() | April 2010 | Fresher by 20 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A850 over the Olympus E-PM1
A850 | E-PM1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+462k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony A850
E-PM1 | A850 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More precise focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same screen size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Absent Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Physical Comparison
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.
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Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and A850 is 89 and 54 respectively.
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Sensor Comparison
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.
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A850 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PM1 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
Revealed | 2011-11-23 | 2010-04-15 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic VI | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | Full frame |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 35.9 x 24mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 861.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12MP | 25MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 6048 x 4032 |
Max native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Max enhanced ISO | - | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Available lenses | 107 | 143 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of display | 460 thousand dots | 922 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 98% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.74x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
Continuous shutter rate | 6.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Fastest flash synchronize | 1/160s | 1/250s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
Video data format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | - |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 265 gr (0.58 lb) | 895 gr (1.97 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") | 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 52 | 79 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.0 | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | 12.2 |
DXO Low light rating | 499 | 1415 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 photos | 880 photos |
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 recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo |
Card slots | 1 | Dual |
Pricing at release | $499 | $0 |