Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A55

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A55, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and A55 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-PM1 was revealed 16 months later than the A55 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-PM1 matches up against the A55 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PM1 & Sony SLT-A55. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 provides physical 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) while the Sony A55 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PM1 vs Sony A55 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PM1 against the A55.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and A55 is 89 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing just by researching a spec sheet. The graphic here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PM1 and A55.

As you can see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 using its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more difficult and the Sony A55 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer E-PM1 will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.