Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony a5100

Here is a detailed assessment of the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony a5100, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and a5100 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was manufactured 3 years before the a5100 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Rangefinder-style mirrorless).

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-PM1 matches up vs the a5100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PM1 enjoys outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has sizing of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PM1 and Sony a5100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PM1 and the a5100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and a5100 is 89 and 89 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to picture the difference between sensor sizing simply by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and a5100.

As you can see, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony a5100 will give you greater detail due to its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PM1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.