Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony NEX-5R

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony NEX-5R, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5R (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was unveiled 9 months earlier than the NEX-5R so they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-PM1 scores vs the NEX-5R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM1 provides outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony NEX-5R in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PM1 vs the NEX-5R.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and NEX-5R is 89 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by reading through specifications. The photograph below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PM1 and NEX-5R.

Plainly, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5R will resolve greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PM1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.