Olympus E-PM2 vs Sony A290

Following is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A290, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-PM2 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PM2 was introduced 2 years after the A290 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PM2 scores versus the A290 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PM2 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PM2 provides external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PM2 and Sony A290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PM2 and the A290.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM2 and A290 is 89 and 66 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by going through specifications. The pic below may offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM2 and A290.

To sum up, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-PM2 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-PM2 will show extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent E-PM2 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.